A New Evil: Parts 1, 2, and 3
by Kokiri7656
Summary: Condensed with the new chapter format. A new menace has arrived in Hyrule. What does it want? Link's search leads him to Princess Zelda, and a new quest to save Hyrule begins.
1. Ganondorfs Hand: The arrival of Meyson

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is not only my second attempt at a fic, but also my first attempt at a true epic. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (I don't think I'll use one, but time will tell) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be the beginning of something special.

  


Chapter 1/Introduction

(Author's Note: This takes place two months after "The Search for 12." If you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to do so. It might help later.)

  


A quiet night in Hyrule. There was barely anything stirring that night in Hyrule. And it was especially quiet that night in Lon Lon Ranch. But then Link, the Hero of Time, woke up in a cold sweat. Link hadn't had a nightmare of this magnitude for at least two months. Link was starting to get used to having nightmares. He'd been having them since he was a child growing up in Kokiri Forest. When he was ten, he had nightmares of the upcoming Imprisonment War. Two months ago, he had nightmares of his childhood friend, Saria, committing suicide over the life of solitude that came with being the Forest Sage. Tonight, he had a different nightmare. Frankly, Link didn't know what to make of it. The only thing he knew, was that all of his dreams ending up coming to pass in one form or another.

Link got up and quietly exited the room hoping not to wake Malon. He walked down the stairs and knocked down a bottle of milk, making a very loud shattering sound. Of course it wasn't enough to wake a sleeping Talon, who could sleep through just about anything. Link walked out and started towards the corral.

"What are you doing up this late, boy?"

Link almost jumped. He thought for sure he was the only one out, but apparently, Ingo was out as well.

"Ingo," began Link. "I'm just taking a walk. I…kind of need to be alone right now."

Ingo had a sore look on his face. "Oh I get it. It's gonna be one of these nights."

Ingo walked away, but Link knew exactly what he meant. It was no secret about Link's nightmares and how he always walked out to the corral after each one. He continued to the corral and sat down. He thought about what he saw earlier. He couldn't describe it. Well, maybe he could. He had seen Hyrule. He saw his friends. And he saw something he had never seen before. He saw something…evil.

  
Chapter 2  


"Couldn't sleep, huh?"

Link was startled at the sudden voice, but he didn't look too surprised. It was beginning to look a lot like that night two months ago.

"Hi Malon. I didn't wake you up, did I?"

Malon sat beside Link and looked into his eyes. She saw that look of fear. That look of uncertainty that would cross his face every time he came out to the corral at this time of night. Malon had known Link since she was ten. When Ingo had kicked her father, Talon, off the ranch and worked her like a slave, it was Link who won Epona and the ranch back for her father. When Link ultimately defeated Ganondorf and was sent back to his time by Princess Zelda, somehow Malon went back with him. They don't know how and don't really care how, as long as they're together. Yes, Malon knew Link for a long time and she knew him long enough to know when something was bothering him. And tonight something was bothering him, more so than usual.

"No," she said. "But when I heard Ingo come in, I noticed you weren't in bed. Link, is there something wrong?"

Malon saw Link trying to find the answer to that question. She remembered the last time they were out at this time of night. The next day, Link was on his way to the Forest Temple. He said he'd be gone for a week, but it was more like a month. When he came back, Malon was ready to wring his neck for worrying her like that. She only wondered what would happen at the end of this night.

Link began to speak. "Malon, I had a dream. But I have no idea what it means. I don't know what I saw."

Malon hoped to help calm him down. "Link, relax. Tell me what you saw."

Link struggled to find the words to begin. "Well, I'll try. It started out…"

* * *

Link looked around. He knew where he was. He was in the middle of Hyrule Field. Flames were surrounding him. He saw that a thunderstorm had covered the sky. And he the screams of thousands of Hylians.

And as fast as he arrived, Link was transported somewhere else. He didn't recognize it at first, but he remembered where he was. It was the Fire Temple. He looked straight ahead to see Darunia, the Sage of Fire, in shackles.

Darunia had been beaten down. And he struggled to speak. "He…he's here. Didn't…see…him coming. He's…a thing of evil. Evil…that is only exceeded by Ganondorf, himself."

Link tried to say something, but he was immediately taken somewhere else. It was Hyrule Castle. And it was collapsing. Link ran towards the castle but was stopped by a tall being. It was covered in brown. It was like nothing Link had ever seen before. The being began to laugh evilly. Then Link was shocked to see the being transform in front of his eyes into a familiar form. The form of Princess Zelda.

"Don't you see," it said in Zelda's exact voice. "You cannot win." It began transforming again. This time it transformed into Malon. "You never saw this coming." Again it transformed. Now it transformed into his childhood friend, Saria. "You thought you won, but it wasn't over." Finally, it transformed back into itself and said in a deep voice, "and now, everything you know will be destroyed."

The being began his evil laughter again while Hyrule Castle was collapsing. Then everything went black.

* * *

"I don't know what it is I saw," Link continued. "It could mean anything. But the one thing I do know, is that what I saw wasn't good."

Malon saw Link begin to get up and quickly walk back towards the house. "Wait," she said. "Link, what are you doing?"

Link looked back. "I know one thing I saw. I saw Darunia. Maybe he can help me figure this out. I'm going to the Fire Temple in Death Mountain."

"Link, you have no supplies," Malon yelled as he entered the house. One thing she hated was Link's sudden rush to leave after nearly every nightmare.

Link came out and headed towards Epona. "I won't be long."

"That's what you said last time."

Link mounted Epona and looked down at Malon. "I mean it this time. I'll be back in a few days, no matter what, I promise." Link left quickly leaving Malon at the ranch. She also began to wonder about Link's dream. There was one thing that scared her. Link's dreams weren't usually dreams, they were visions. And Link's visions were rarely, if ever, wrong.

  
Chapter 3  


As Link approached Death Mountain, he started thinking about the last time he had seen Darunia. Link knew that, even though Darunia had to live the rest of his life in the Fire Temple, he was hardly bored. Darunia was the King of the Gorons. He would rule over them from the Fire Temple and conduct his daily business from there. He was one of the mightiest rulers Link had ever known. But as the first person he saw in his dream, Link hoped that Darunia could help him. As he walked up the mountain towards Goron City, Link thought about the first time he met Darunia when he was ten.

* * *

Young Link didn't know where he was. He had spent the whole day walking up the mountain and finally made his way into some sort of city. As he looked around, Link accidentally bumped into a rock.

"Hey, watch where you're going."

Link jumped. He realized that it wasn't a rock he bumped. But it was…Link didn't know what it was. It was a round, brown creature with a huge friendly, but kind of dopey, smile. _'Maybe it's one of the locals,'_ he thought.

"I'm sorry," Link said. He didn't know what to say next but finally blurted out, "What…are you?"

The thing began to laugh. "We are Gorons. You look lost, little boy. Where are you trying to go?"

The young ten-year old ignored the question. He was amazed at how big the city looked.

"Is something wrong?" the Goron asked.

"Where are they?" Link asked.

"Where are what?"

"The trees. I don't see any trees."

The Goron looked confused. "Trees? What are trees? Do you mean rocks?"

Link didn't know what to think. _'No trees?'_ Link thought. Not only that, but this Goron didn't seem to know what a tree was. That boggled the young boy's mind. Did the Goron seriously not know the difference between a tree and a rock?

Link decided to change the subject to the matter at hand. "I-I'm looking for the k-king. Where can I find him?"

The Goron still wore his friendly smile. "King? Oh, you must mean Big Brother Darunia. He's in there." The Goron pointed to his right towards a door. "But I wouldn't go in there right now. Big Brother's been in a grumpy mood all day. He said something about waiting for a messenger from the Royal Family."

That's what Link was waiting to hear. "Oh, he must mean me. I'm the Royal Family's messenger."

The Goron shook his head. "You? Aren't you a little young to be the Royal Family's messenger? I think your imagination's running away with you."

That irritated Link a little. "No, really. I mean it. I'm the Royal Family's messenger. And I'll prove it."

Link walked towards the closed door. He pulled out the Faerie Ocarina that Saria had given him as a gift just before he left the village and began to play Zelda's Lullaby.

"Is that the song of the Royal Family I hear?" a voice behind the door said. "You must be the messenger. Come in."

The door slid open and Link entered. In front of him, he saw the back of a huge Goron. He was much bigger than the other Gorons and appeared to be the leader, Darunia.

"I was expecting you. What's that message you have…" the king turned around and looked like he was about to explode in anger. "What is this?! You're the messenger?! A puny little kid?! This is an outrage?! I'm outraged that the King of Hyrule would insult me by sending me a kid!!"

"Uh…" Link began.

"GET OUT!!" Darunia yelled. "And take your stupid message with you!!"

Link turned around to leave when he heard Darunia mutter.

"Man, could I use a song right about now."

That gave Link an idea. He turned around and tapped Darunia on the shoulder.

Darunia turned around and glared at the young boy angrily. "Didn't I tell you to leave?! What do you want?!"

Link shook off the fear that dwelled within him at that moment. "M-Mr. Darunia, what kind of song are you looking for?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm looking for a beat that I can dance to."

Link didn't have his ocarina for that long. But he knew one song that he could play. It was the song that Saria had taught him. He pulled out his ocarina and began playing Saria's Song. As he played it, Link was amazed to see that Darunia had begun dancing. He didn't think that someone of that size could dance like that. When Link had finished, he saw that Darunia had become more…relaxed.

"Hey," Darunia grinned. "That was great. I don't think I've ever danced like that before in my life. That song's got some beat. I can't get it out of my mind."

Link hated to interrupt, but he was there for a reason. "Um, sir, about the message?"

"Oh yes, the message. What did you have to tell me, young man?"

Link cleared his throat. When he really thought about it, even he didn't know why he was there. "I need the Spiritual Stone of Fire. I need to bring it to the princess."

Darunia had a look of concern. "The Spiritual Stone of Fire? Hmm…I'm sorry, son. I don't think I can help you."

"Please, Darunia," Link pleaded. "I really need it. I have to take it to the princess. I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Darunia asked. He seemed to have an idea. "Ok, son. I'll give you the stone. But first, I need you to do me a favor."

_'Great,'_ Link thought. _'I knew it was too easy.'_ Link shrugged and looked up at the huge Goron. "Ok, what is it?" 

"I need you to find a way into the Dodongo's Cavern and clear it of all Dodongos. My people have been starving for rocks, and the Dodongo's Cavern is the only place to find good rocks. If you can remove all the Dodongos, then I'll give you the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

Young Link couldn't believe it. This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. But he had to do what he had to do. He began to leave when Darunia put his huge hand on his shoulder.

"But before you go, boy, what's your name?"

"L-Link."

"Hmm…could you do me one more favor before you go, Link?"

Link looked at Darunia curiously. "What's that?"

Darunia smiled. "Could you…play that song one more time?"

Link was intrigued. No one had ever asked him to play a single note, much less an encore. "Ok," Link said as he reached for his ocarina again. Darunia grinned as Link began to play Saria's Song one more time.

* * *

Link smiled when he thought of that moment. For someone with such a gruff exterior, Darunia was quite a dancer. But Link also remembered Darunia as a spirited leader. And he wondered how much Goron City had changed now that Darunia had permanently changed locations. Link crossed the entrance to Goron City and saw something that he hoped he'd never have to see again.

Goron City was deserted.

  
Chapter 4  


Link looked in every corner, but it was true. Goron City was empty. It hadn't been this empty since the Imprisonment War when Ganondorf threw all the Gorons in the Fire Temple to be fed to the dragon, Volvagia. But if this was like last time, then Link knew where to look. He headed straight for the Goron shop. He entered the Goron shop and found nothing. The clerk was gone. _'It must be really bad if the clerk's gone,'_ Link thought to himself. Link exited the Goron shop and went into Darunia's room.

The room was empty. The statue that blocked the path to the Death Mountain Crater had been removed. Of course, since there was no one around, Link thought it would be a good place to change into his Goron tunic. After Link changed into his Goron tunic, he entered the Death Mountain Crater and headed for the Fire Temple.

As Link entered the Fire Temple, he thought about where he might find Darunia. Then he remembered where he found Darunia the first time he came into the Forest Temple. He took a sharp left and opened the door. There he found a sight that horrified him. Darunia was shackled. He had been knocked unconscious. By what, Link had no idea. Link ran to the Goron King and began shaking him.

"Darunia," Link exclaimed. "Darunia, wake up!"

Darunia moaned and began coming to. "Uhh, what happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Link said. "Darunia, what happened?"

The large Goron looked up at Link. "Brother, you're here. What are you doing here?"

"Never mind that, Darunia. What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Brother, perhaps you should get me out of these shackles first."

Link felt a little stupid that he hadn't loosened Darunia upon first sight, but he unleashed his sword and struck the shackles, cutting Darunia loose. "There. Now tell me, who did this?"

"Link, I think you'd better sit down. It's a long story."

  
Chapter 5  


Link sat down and saw a grim look cross Darunia's face.

"I won't forget what I witnessed that day. It was a normal day, then I was confronted by an evil presence. An evil that hasn't been seen since Ganondorf roamed Hyrule."

* * *

Darunia hadn't been doing much that day. He was expecting someone from Goron City any minute. After all, Darunia was the king and he needed to know how the Gorons were holding up, since Darunia could never leave the Fire Temple. Then finally a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Darunia shouted.

A Goron of average height entered the door and approached Darunia. "How are things, Big Brother?"

Darunia smiled. "I'm the king of my people, I've got a huge temple, and I have all the rocks I can eat. Things couldn't be better. But tell me, anything happen in the city?"

"Well," the Goron began. "The city's been fine and everything, but everyone seems to be asking the same question."

Darunia looked curious. What could he be talking about? "Question? What question?"

"Everyone wants to know where the Spiritual Stone of Fire is."

Darunia looked even more confused. "Spiritual Stone of Fire? Why would everybody want to know where the Spiritual Stone of Fire is?"

"Um," the Goron stuttered. "They all want to see it. In fact, they wanted me to bring it to them."

Darunia grew suspicious. "Now I'm getting a little confused. I thought it's been clear for years that no common Goron can hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire. And I always thought every common Goron knew that I don't carry the stone with me."

"Well," the Goron began, but Darunia noticed something. The Goron's eyes began to glow red and he voice grew deeper. "Maybe I'm not a common Goron."

The Goron grabbed Darunia by the neck. The grip was crushing. Darunia then witnessed something that amazed him. The Goron transformed into a tall being covered in brown skin.

Darunia struggled to get a word out but did manage to squeeze something out. "Who…are…you?"

The being laughed evilly. "I am the evil the likes of which hasn't been seen in Hyrule for five years. I am the final solution. I am the final and ultimate hand of the great Ganondorf. I AM **MEYSON!!!**"

Darunia was still choking as the thing known as Meyson tightened his grip. Then Darunia heard three more sets of laughter. He saw three Lizalfos soldiers enter the door. One was tall and slender. The second one was short. The third one was average height but very chunky.

"Another very convincing performance, Meyson," said the tall one.

Meyson chuckled evilly. "Thank you Kreature. But our work is not done yet." Meyson turned his head towards the three Lizalfos. "Get the shackles! The fun's about to begin."

The two other Lizalfos shackled Darunia's arms and legs. Meyson had finally loosened his grip on Darunia's neck. Never had the Goron King felt such strength. The next thing Darunia saw was the ugly face of the sinister being.

Meyson looked menacingly at Darunia. "Ok, Fire Sage. You have something I want. And if you know what's good for you, you'll give it to me. Now tell me, where is the Spiritual Stone of Fire?"

Darunia stood his ground. He didn't say anything, but felt the cold hand of Meyson strike his face.

"I'm going to ask you again, and you'd better tell me what I want to hear or else."

Darunia wasn't backing down. "Or else what, fiend?"

Meyson began to laugh again. "Or else I can destroy your entire city. Think about it. I have the power." Meyson then transformed into the Goron that entered the room earlier. "As you can see, I can blend in rather easily." Then Meyson transformed into a more intimidating form, that of Ganondorf. "Or, I can take on a much more menacing appearance." Meyson then shifted back into his original shape. "But either way, if you don't give me the Spiritual Stone of Fire, then I'll tear Goron City apart until you do. Now what do you say?"

Darunia wouldn't submit to the evil one's demand. "NO!"

Meyson grinned evilly. "Ooh, wrong answer." Again, Meyson grabbed Darunia by the neck. "I can snap your neck right now. And when I finish doing that, I can destroy your people one by one. From the average dopey Goron, to the fat sword welders, to…your own son." Darunia grimaced at that. "Oh yeah, you must have already forgotten," Meyson transformed into a Goron. "I can blend in very easily. Your little boy'll never see me coming." Meyson then shifted back and stared coldly at Darunia. "Now, where is it?"

Darunia was beaten. He couldn't sacrifice his son, whom he named Link after the Hero of Time. As much as he couldn't bear to do it, he had to go along with this evil shape-shifter. Darunia tried to speak over Meyson's death grip. "It's…not…here."

Meyson let go of Darunia's neck. "Ok then, where is it?"

Darunia remained silent.

Meyson grew angry. "TELL ME!! Or I swear, I won't just destroy all the Gorons. No, I won't just kill your little boy. But, mark my words, I will make him SUFFER!!"

Darunia couldn't risk his son's life. He had to give in. "It's…in the city. It's hidden on the platform high above the city."

Meyson grinned. "You made the right choice, Fire Sage. The last thing you want to do is make me angry, because I can destroy anything and everything that I please." He looked at the three Lizalfos. "Our work is done here. Let's leave the Fire Sage to think about the upcoming destruction of his people."

Darunia gritted his teeth. "But…you said…"

Meyson interrupted him. "Fool! I never said I would just spare your people. I can do whatever I want, and no one can stop me." Again he looked at the Lizalfos. "Let's go. We've got work to do in Goron City. But first…"

Meyson raised his arm and a bright ball of energy began to form in his hand. Meyson then threw the energy straight at Darunia's chest.

Darunia was hit hard. The last thing he heard before slipping into unconsciousness was the evil laughter of Meyson.

  
Chapter 6  


"I don't know what this thing wants," Darunia told Link, "or why he wants the Spiritual Stone of Fire. But I must know if my people are ok."

Link didn't know how to break it to Darunia. "Darunia, I have something to tell you. Your people…"

"HEY, BIG BROTHER!!"

Link abruptly turned his head. That was a Goron voice. And it came from behind the door in which Link walked in. When the door opened, sure enough, dozens of Gorons walked in.

Link put his hands behind his back and grinned sheepishly. "Your people are here." He looked at one of the Gorons. "Why are you all here?"

"We all evacuated," the Goron answered. "There was this thing that one minute looked just like us, but the next minute it was this huge thing covered with brown skin. He had these three lizard soldiers with him and he said he was gonna destroy us all. We all ran out as fast as we could. But he didn't go after any of us. He went after the Goron's Ruby."

"That's it then," Darunia said. "He's got it."

Link realized that this Meyson was a huge threat. And it looked like it'd be up to him to defeat Meyson and his cohorts. "Darunia?" Link asked. "Did this guy look familiar to you in any way? Have you ever heard of him? I need to know what I'm gonna be up against."

Darunia shook his head. "He was like nothing I'd ever seen. And I've never heard of an evil shape-shifter known as Meyson. But what I did get was that he said he was the final hand of Ganondorf. And I know someone who might be able to help."

Link didn't like where this was going. Darunia couldn't possibly mean…

"Princess Zelda. There's no one out there who knows more about Ganondorf's minions than Princess Zelda. Link, you've got to see the Princess. I'm confident she'll know more about this Meyson."

Link hated to admit it, but Darunia was right. Zelda could help him.

"Thanks Darunia," Link said. "I'll do what I can to get the stone back and stop Meyson from whatever he's doing."

As Link walked out of the Fire Temple he thought about what he had just been hit with. Where did Meyson come from? What did he want? Where would he strike next? And would Princess Zelda know who he was? Link knew there was plenty of time to answer these questions, but first…he had to stop back at the ranch.

  
  


It took a few days, but Link was finally back at Lon Lon Ranch. But his stay would be brief. He was only here to reload on supplies before heading off to Hyrule Castle. Link had almost everything he needed, but…

"Are you ok?"

People seemed to catching Link by surprise a lot lately. He turned around to see Malon with a concerned look on her face. She looked like she was up all night.

"Malon, you didn't wait up for me, did you?"

Malon wore a somber expression. "I guess not. But I'm surprised you're back so soon. Is everything ok?"

Link continued loading everything. "Not really. I've got to get going again. I've got to see the Princess. I might be gone a little longer this time."

"Ok," Malon said. "So when do we leave?"

Link dropped the bag he was loading. He was almost in shock. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"Well," Malon began. "You're not just leaving me here, are you?"

Link sensed Malon had an ulterior motive. "Why not? I always do."

Malon began to load supplies onto her own horse. "Come on, Link. I see it in your eyes. I hear it in your voice. Something's seriously wrong. And I don't think it's best for me to stay here at the ranch…"

"But…"

"My father and Ingo can take care of themselves, and I'm in good hands with you around…"

"But…"

"And whatever's wrong, it's better I hear it from you on the way to the castle than hearing it from someone else when it's too late."

"But…"

Link lost this argument. Malon was already riding out towards Hyrule Field. "Well, slowpoke? What are you waiting for? An invitation?"

Link groaned. In the blink of an eye, Malon thrust herself on his journey. He began riding out and wondered what made Malon suddenly want to tag along on what could potentially be a dangerous journey.

  
Chapter 7  


Malon had nearly forgotten how huge Hyrule Castle was. The sight amazed her. And she was glad she was there. She admitted that she grew scared when Link told her about the evil shape-shifter called Meyson and his three minions. She knew that Hyrule was likely in serious danger. And she knew that she could be in the direct line of fire if something were to attack Link. But Malon knew exactly why she decided to go. She wasn't proud of it, either. It wasn't out of fear for Link's safety. It wasn't exactly to help Link. She had gone out of jealousy.

Yes, Malon was jealous. She knew what could happen if and when Link met with Princess Zelda again. It was practically no comparison. Zelda was courageous, intelligent, and strikingly beautiful. In addition to that, she was royalty! Malon knew that she, a simple farm girl, couldn't compete with Zelda, a gorgeous princess. Malon intended to make sure that Link remained faithful to her, even though she never really openly declared her feelings for Link.

Link and Malon tied their horses and headed towards the castle gate. The castle guard immediately stopped them.

"Can I help you two?" the guard asked snobbishly.

"Uh, yeah," Link answered. "We need to see the princess."

"Oh, really?" the guard asked sarcastically. "Well, Princess Zelda doesn't cater to the likes of you people, so GO AWAY!!"

Link and Malon turned around and began to leave.

"Well, he was charming," Malon said as she approached her horse. She turned around and saw Link grinning mischievously at the stalk hanging from the wall. "Link, no. You can't be serious."

Link smiled at the young farm girl. "Come on, Malon. It'll be like old times. It will for me, anyway. Don't you remember when I climbed this stalk and ditched the guards?"

Malon began to crack a smile herself. "Yeah. It was on the day we first met…"

* * *

Young Malon was getting bored. It had been hours since her father went into the castle to deliver milk. The sun had already gone down and all she could do was sing her favorite song. But her singing was interrupted by the scream of a young boy.

"Hey! Put me down! I need to get in the castle!"

Malon saw a young boy getting carried out by one of the castle guards. The boy looked familiar. _'I remember him,'_ she thought. It was the fairy boy she met earlier in the day. She saw the guard throw the boy about two feet, where he landed on his face.

"And stay out, you little brat!" the guard yelled. "The princess doesn't cater to the likes of you!"

Malon felt sorry for the boy. He seemed to shake off the hard fall and began looking towards the large stalk around where she was standing. The boy grabbed the stalk. That's when Malon decided to make conversation.

"What are you doing, fairy boy?"

The boy looked at her strangely. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm gonna climb this vine and go see the princess."

Malon looked confused. "Why do you want to see the princess so badly? Don't you know what the guards will do if they catch you?"

The boy still had that same look. "It's none of your business why I want to see the princess. And the guards won't catch me."

Malon smiled. "Whatever you say, fairy boy."

The boy frowned. "And stop calling me 'fairy boy.' I have a name, you know."

Malon giggled. "Oh yeah. What is your name, fairy boy?"

The boy groaned. "My name's Link."

"I'm Malon."

"I know. You told me already. When we met in the town."

The farm girl giggled again. "Oh yeah. Hey, fairy boy? Can you do me a favor?"

The boy, Link, began to grow impatient. "What? I'm in a hurry."

"My daddy went into the castle to deliver some milk and he hasn't come back. I think he fell asleep." The ten-year old girl smiled. "Sometimes I can't figure out adults."

Link looked confused. "A…dults?

"You know, adults. Grown-ups, silly."

"Uh, oh yeah. I don't see a lot of adults."

"You don't? What about your parents?"

"Parents?"

Malon knew she wasn't getting anywhere. "Never mind. Just find my daddy as long as you're in there. And take this with you." She handed Link an egg.

Link looked at the egg strangely. "What is it?"

Malon giggled again. "It's an egg. It's kind of weird, though."

Link stuffed it in his pocket. "Fancy that, a weird egg. Well, thanks. I'd better get going."

Link climbed up the vines and left Malon alone. If she knew her father, he probably was asleep. She hoped Link could find him, assuming he didn't get caught.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!"

Sure enough, it was Link. It looked like he got caught and was once again thrown out by the guards. He proceeded to land on his face again.

Link went back to the vine and looked at Malon. "He got lucky. He won't catch me this time." Then the young boy, seemingly undaunted, continued up the vine and into the castle. Malon had a feeling it would be like that all night.

* * *

Malon laughed when she thought of that night. "You had to have been thrown out like twenty times. I think I even started measuring how far the guard threw you after a while."

Link didn't smile as much as he gripped the vine. "I think he threw me head-first into the trees a couple of times. Well, let's go."

"Link, really. Think about this. You were a kid back then. Of course they'd just throw you out. But you're an adult now."

"A…dult?"

Malon groaned. "Now cut that out. You know what I mean. If they catch you, they won't have any problem throwing you into the dungeon."

Link grinned. "You mean throwing 'us' into the dungeon."

Malon frowned at that thought. "That's the other thing I have a problem with. You can't be serious about having me come along. You got lucky to get past the guards all by yourself."

"Well, YOU wanted to come."

It was true. Malon had nearly forgotten why she came in the first place. She had to go 'supervise' this meeting, as much as Malon hated to refer to it that way.

But Link continued before she said anything. "And besides, I won't get caught."

"That's what you said last time."

"I mean it this time. They got lucky back then. It's different now. I'm a little older. And I'm definitely much more skilled." As if on cue, Link jumped and grabbed a loose vine and fell flat on his back.

Malon looked down at the dazed Hero of Time and smirked. "Oh how could I EVER doubt your awesome skill, oh mighty hero."

"Just help me up," Link moaned.

Rather than help him up, though, Malon started climbing a firm vine. "Hurry up, slowpoke."

Link finally got to his feet and climbed the vine. He looked out towards the huge dwelling that was Hyrule Castle. "Yep, feels just like old times."

  
Chapter 8  


Malon looked towards the castle. She couldn't believe how big the place really was. "Well," she said looking at Link. "Lead the way."

Link went past the gate and jumped down. He looked up at the nervous farm girl. "Come on, Malon. I'll catch you."

Malon looked down, closed her eyes, and jumped down into the arms of Link. She had to admit that being in Link's arms did feel a bit romantic.

That is, until Link opened his big mouth. "Malon, have you gained weight?"

Malon slapped Link in the back of the head. "Just shut up and let's keep going."

Malon could do nothing but follow Link's every move. They ducked behind every bush and rock. Then Malon followed Link into the moat. Link took Malon by the hand and dragged her in before she could even react. She nearly wanted to kill Link after they came out of the moat.

But she felt it would be better to just keep going. "Well, now where do we go?"

But the look she saw on Link's face disturbed her. Something was wrong.

Link finally broke the silence. "I…forgot…about the water duct."

Malon's anger was rising. "What water duct?"

"The duct I crawled through when I was a kid. I sort of forgot about it."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning I can't fit."

Malon groaned. "Well, now what?"

Link's face brightened. It looked like he had an idea. "Well, I could do this." Link pulled out a bomb.

The farm girl wasn't convinced. "Won't the explosion be a little LOUD?!"

"You know…I do believe you're right," Link said, but he appeared undaunted. "But I have an idea. Light the fuse and I'll be right back. I'm going to create a diversion."

Before Malon could say anything, Link ran off. She didn't argue. She jumped the moat and lit the bomb around the water duct. After a painfully long minute, the bomb exploded. It left a hole big enough for her and Link to be able to crawl through. She expected the guards to come running in any minute to investigate the explosion, but the only one who came back was Link.

Malon was curious. "What did you do?"

Link stood proudly. "I said there was a bomb in the town."

Malon couldn't believe it. "You said there was a BOMB? You created a fake bomb scare?"

Link still stood conceitedly. "Ok, maybe I created a little panic. But I'm getting us in. No one gets hurt and every guard in the castle is gone." Link started crawling through the hole. "Well, let's go."

Malon groaned. This would be a long night.

  
  


When Malon and Link finished crawling through the space, they saw guards walking through nearly every corner of the castle courtyard.

"Every guard, huh?" Malon asked.

"Never mind," Link said. "They'll never see us coming."

The Hero of Time seemed confident enough, so why shouldn't Malon? She followed Link, ducking behind every bush and statue. Malon gazed in awe at the beautiful bushes and fountains in the courtyard. But she didn't stare too long, as Link moved around fast. At one point, the two even walked above one of the guards on a narrow walkway. Finally, after passing two guards patrolling a hedge and a statue, Malon and Link could see the inner courtyard.

"This is where I met Princess Zelda," Link said. "We're here."

As Malon walked through the passage leading to the inner courtyard, she saw that Link's cockiness began to emerge.

"I knew it," he said coolly. "They could never catch me. Same old dumb guards. See Malon, some things never change."

"HALT!!!"

Link level of boldness took a deep plunge. When Malon and Link entered the inner courtyard, two guards had stopped them. One to the left, and one to the right of the entrance.

Link could only state the obvious. "Then again…"

  


Comments? I encourage you to review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	2. Ganondorfs Hand: A tense reunion

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is not only my second attempt at a fic, but also my first attempt at a true epic. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (I don't think I'll use one, but time will tell) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be the beginning of something special (Hey, it looks good to me so far).

  
Chapter 9  


Link's ego took a hit that night. He had been so sure that everything would be just like it was that night when he was ten. Of course he had no idea that two guards were placed in the inner courtyard. Maybe it was because Impa now resided in the Shadow Temple, or maybe Zelda requested the extra security. But whatever the reason, now Link and Malon were now in the dungeon.

It made Link a little upset. Especially since he didn't want to see Princess Zelda ever again. This woman had brought him so much grief. Link never wanted to take his stupid quest in the first place. But Zelda seemed so sure of everything. She made it seem so simple. _'Get three spiritual stones, take the Ocarina of Time, open the Door of Time, get the Master Sword, get the Triforce, and that's it. Peace comes to Hyrule.'_ She thought it'd be so easy, especially since Link would be doing all the work. But it wasn't that easy. It wasn't just that getting the spiritual stones was an extremely difficult task in itself, but it was the result of everything after. Link had lost seven years of his life trying to get the Master Sword. His best friend, Saria, tried to search for him while he was in the Sacred Realm and nearly died for going out into the vastness. Malon's father had lost the ranch to Ingo and she was beaten on a daily basis. Hyrule had nearly been left in ruins. And when Link saw Zelda again seven years later, all she could say was, _'I'm sorry. I didn't know.'_ The quest had brought Link so much pain, but it was the ignorance of Zelda that he blamed it all on. Had she known better, this might have all been prevented. And it was because Link blamed her that he never wanted to see her again.

But circumstances called for Link to meet with the princess again. A new evil had emerged. It was a sinister shape-shifter known as Meyson and his three Lizalfos sidekicks. He had already struck. He shackled Darunia, the Fire Sage, and took the Spiritual Stone of Fire. He forced the Gorons to evacuate Goron City and move into the Fire Temple. Link had no idea what he wanted or where he came from, but Darunia told him that Zelda would know. While Link thought of that, Malon finally broke the long silence.

"Well this is great. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know," Link said. "Just wait, I guess."

"I thought you were so sure of this, Link," Malon frowned.

"I was," Link answered back. "How was I supposed to know that they got new guards?"

"I don't know, but I thought the princess would remember you. I guess she doesn't."

Link frowned. "Somehow, I doubt that." Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Malon scowl at him with her arms crossed. _'Was it something I said?'_ he thought.

Before Link could say anything else, one of the guards approached the cell and looked at Link. "You're a lucky man, sir. You and your friend have been released by special request. Come this way."

Link and Malon walked out and followed the guard. He led them out to the inner courtyard where they had been caught. This time Link found what he hoped, sort of, to find in the first place. Standing by the window, looking as elegant as ever, was Princess Zelda.

  
Chapter 10  


Link didn't know what to say when he saw Princess Zelda. This was the woman that brought him so much grief through that stupid quest. Yet, she appeared so innocent. But it was Zelda who spoke first.

"I'm sorry about the guards. They've been uptight ever since Impa left for the Shadow Temple. I hoped this wouldn't happen. Because I knew you'd come back."

_'Great,'_ Link thought. She had seen them coming and she didn't even bother to get ready, but rather wait for them to be arrested first. Before he could say anything, Link felt an elbow poke him in the ribs. He felt that Malon was waiting for an introduction.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Link said. "Malon, this is Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. Zelda, this is my friend Malon."

Link saw a hurt expression cross Malon's face. He didn't understand why. _'Was it something I said?'_ he thought again.

But rather than focus on that, he focused on the matter at hand. "Zelda…how did you know I was coming back?"

Zelda turned around and looked into the window. "I had…a prophecy. And in it, I saw you. I didn't think I'd see you again, but then I saw…it."

Link could see what she meant. "By 'it', I assume you mean the big guy, he was…"

Zelda interrupted. "…covered in brown skin and could shift his shape. Yes, you must mean Meyson."

She knew. She knew what this thing was. But did she have all the answers? "Zelda?" Link asked. "What is this thing? Where did it come from?"

Zelda turned back around and faced Link. "I had the feeling he was coming. I knew that Ganondorf had one more trick up his sleeve. I knew it since the day he held me captive, on the last night of the Imprisonment War…"

* * *

Zelda could hardly believe it. It had merely been minutes since she had shed the disguise of 'Sheik' to reveal herself as the Seventh Sage to Link, the Hero of Time. And Ganondorf had already found her and imprisoned her in a giant crystal. Now she was floating above in Ganondorf's lair while he played an evil tune on his organ.

"Well, princess," Ganondorf said. "How do you like what I've done with the place?"

Zelda gritted her teeth. "It won't last, you pig. The Hero of Time is coming and you're time will finally be up."

Ganondorf seemed confident. "Oh really, princess. Do you actually believe that this 'boy' can defeat me? I hold the Triforce of Power. I cannot be beaten."

"Your brand of evil will never win, Ganondorf. I know that Link can beat you."

Ganondorf laughed. "Oh, but you don't see it, do you? Even if the impossible were to happen, and this boy does beat me, then do you think it ends there?"

Zelda was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Come now, princess. The Triforce of Power has given me powers beyond belief. Do you think that I've thrown EVERYTHING at the so-called Hero of Time? Of course not. I have an insurance policy. The ultimate hand is still out there. But you won't see it until it's too late. Mwahahahahahahahahaha!"

* * *

"He was right," Zelda continued. "I didn't see it coming. But it's here now. Meyson is his ultimate hand."

Link was fuming. How dense was she? But it was Malon who spoke. "He told you this five years ago, and you're figuring this out NOW?" It was as if Malon had read Link's mind.

"When Ganondorf referred to his ultimate hand, I thought he meant Ganon, the monster he became that night," Zelda answered. "But what he actually referred to was Meyson."

Link still had a few questions. "What exactly IS Meyson?"

"Meyson is an evil that emerged somewhere in Hyrule," the princess began. "I don't know where, when, or even how he came to be. But he's got magic powers that are exceeded only by Ganondorf. He possesses tremendous strength. And he has the ability to shift his shape and assume the form of anyone, regardless of their species."

Link nearly had all the answers he needed. "Zelda, what does Meyson want? He's got the Spiritual Stone of Fire. What he after?"

Zelda expression grew grim. "I think I know the answer." She stood silent. She couldn't find the words.

"Well?" Malon asked. "What does he want?"

Zelda looked at Link. "Link, think about it. He's looking for the Spiritual Stones. What's the one thing he can do with the Spiritual Stones?"

Link couldn't find the answer at first, but then it hit him. And the answer was a ghastly one. "He's going to use the stones to get into the Temple of Time. He's going to try to get into the Sacred Realm." It all made sense to Link now. The motive was clear. "He's going to try to release Ganondorf."

There was a long moment of silence. No one could think of any response to this. They could only think about what could happen if Ganondorf were to be unleashed on Hyrule once more.

Link finally spoke. "Zelda, do you know where Meyson could strike next?"

"I also saw in my prophecy that Meyson would head down into the Water Temple. He would be looking for the Spiritual Stone of Water."

Link knew what this meant. Meyson would tear the Water Temple apart looking for the Spiritual Stone of Water. And Ruto, the Sage of Water, wouldn't stand a chance against this fiend. "Then that's where I'm going." Link and Malon began to walk out.

"Ok," Zelda said. "We'd better leave right away."

Link stopped dead in his tracks. "Excuse me? Who said anything about 'we'?"

Zelda gave Link a cold stare. "Link, if Meyson is looking release Ganondorf, then he'll need the Ocarina of Time, which is held by me. You can't leave me here alone. The guards wouldn't last against Meyson's evil power. I'd be better off being protected by the Hero of Time."

Link couldn't believe it. His tenseness at that moment was exceeded only by what appeared to be Malon's anger.

"Y-You can't go," Malon said. "We only have two horses."

"We won't need horses," Zelda answered. "I have this." She pulled out something Link hadn't seen in a long time. It was the Ocarina of Time. "With the Ocarina of Time, I can transport us practically anywhere we need to go. And if we need to come back for the horses, then I'll transport us back here."

Link knew that he wasn't going to win this argument, either. He could hardly believe that his party of one had expanded into a party of three in the span of a few days. But as much as Link hated to admit it, Zelda made sense. She was the holder of the Ocarina of Time. If Meyson wanted it, he'd have to take down Link first. And the Ocarina's power can save Link days of travelling, especially when it appeared that time would be of the essence.

Link groaned. "Fine. You can come. But we leave now."

Zelda smiled. "Ok. You two had better come closer."

Link, Zelda, and Malon all huddled up. Zelda began a familiar tune. She played the Serenade of Water. And they were off.

  
Chapter 11  


In a matter of moments, Link, Zelda, and Malon all arrived in Lake Hylia just directly above the Water Temple. Link hoped that it wasn't too late. If Meyson got the Spiritual Stone of Water, then there was only one left. He would want the Spiritual Stone of Forest. That was held by his childhood friend, Saria. He shuddered to think of what Meyson would do to her. He also shuddered to think of what would happen to the other 12 Kokiri that had just moved into the Forest Temple to live with Saria. He had to find out, but first…

"Um, ladies?" Link asked as he pulled out his Zora tunic. "A little privacy?"

"Sorry," Zelda and Malon both said. They turned around as Link changed into his Zora tunic. Link could've sworn that Malon tried to peek out of the corner of her eye. _'Nah, couldn't be,'_ he thought.

Link was ready to dive down deep into the Water Temple. He looked at Malon and Zelda. "You two stay here. I won't be long." He looked at Zelda.

"You'd better let me hold the Ocarina for safe-keeping."

Zelda handed Link the Ocarina of Time and he was ready. Link dove into Lake Hylia and swam into the Water Temple. This place had given Link many headaches during his quest. He had to endure various dead ends, fight a darker version of himself, and fight a giant amoebae. Of course, for Ruto it had to be a little better. She was a Zora princess, after all. She had to have Zora people coming in and out every day. And no one could say that the Water Temple wasn't roomy. And of course, it had it's own 'adjustable' swimming pool.

When he stuck his head out of the water, he noticed that Ruto was nowhere to be seen. Finding her in this huge temple could be a long and arduous task. So Link began looking. He opened the door to the center of the temple and hollered out. "HELLO?!?!"

There was no answer. Link left that room and continued his search elsewhere.

  
  


Malon wasn't a happy girl at that moment. She couldn't believe how Princess Zelda had somehow managed to horn in on this journey. And she was starting to grow more jealous by the moment. But her anger wasn't all directed at Zelda. Some of it was at Link.

Malon couldn't believe Link. Somehow Link knew that he would see Zelda again. She knew it since they were in the dungeon. She couldn't tell by the tone of his voice, but she sensed he was almost looking forward to it. But something Link said in the courtyard hurt Malon. He only introduced her as a 'friend'. That hurt Malon deeply. After everything they had gone through, Malon thought that she was more than a friend.

Suddenly the princess spoke. "How long have you known him?"

Malon was surprised at that question. _'A lot longer than you,'_ she wanted to say. "It's been so long, I can hardly remember. We met when we were ten. In fact, the day I met him, he was trying to go see you."

Zelda looked confused. "Really? What day was that?"

"It was the day you started him on his quest," she answered. "The quest to find those three stones."

Zelda still looked confused. "How do you know that? No one's supposed to remember that."

"What do you mean?" Malon asked.

"I noticed that you seem to remember everything from the Imprisonment War. You remember Ganondorf and Link's quest? How?"

"I'm not sure. I just remember everything that's happened in that time. Where everyone else has forgotten, I seem to remember."

"Then you must be the one," Zelda said quietly.

Malon didn't catch that. "What?"

Zelda didn't answer. She only looked up at the sunset. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The sunset?"

Malon's anger had gone down. She was also marveling at the beauty of the setting sun. "Yeah. Sometimes Link and I would just spend nights looking at the sunset. It really is beautiful."

Zelda began to grow sad, though. "If Meyson succeeds and releases Ganondorf, it won't be like last time."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Ganondorf will destroy everything. He won't be content with just ruling. He will mold Hyrule into his own land of evil. He will destroy Link, me, the Sages, and everything he can get his evil hands on. And I fear that combined with the power of Meyson, he will be unstoppable. And I don't think anyone will be spared."

Malon hoped that wouldn't happen again. Living under Ganondorf was a nightmare the first time. She was beaten daily by an Ingo possessed by evil. Her father had been exiled away from the ranch, all because of Ganondorf's will.

"If Link doesn't find the stone in here, then where do we go?" Malon asked.

Zelda's face was somber. "Meyson will go after the Spiritual Stone of Forest. It's being held in the Forest Temple."

The words 'Forest Temple' clicked in the head of Malon. That's where Link had gone two months ago. That's the home of his best friend, Saria. And that's the home Link found for his 12 Kokiri friends.

"Oh, God," Malon said. "If Meyson strikes the Forest Temple, it'll drive Link insane."

"It's ok," Zelda said. "As long as we have the Ocarina of Time, we can get there in minutes. I don't think we'll be too late."

Malon didn't want to picture the agony Link would be in if anything happened to Saria. She tried to change the subject. "Do you think he's found anything?"

Zelda nodded. "I think Link might have found something by now."

  
Chapter 12  


Link had been looking for hours. He had cut through locked doors and padded doors, but there was no sign of Ruto. Then Link heard something.

"Hello? Anybody?"

It was Ruto. Link heard her voice coming from behind a locked door. It was the door that led into the former layer of Morpha, the giant amoebae. Link tried loosening the chains with his sword to no avail. He had bombs, but no way to light the fuse. _'I carry swords, hookshots, bombs, but I can't carry a simple lighter,'_ Link thought. Then Link dug deep into his quiver to find two arrows. He had an idea that might take a while to come through with. He began rubbing the two arrows together, but to no avail. He then dug deeper in his bag to find two Deku sticks, a souvenir left from his trip to the Forest Temple. He rubbed them together for what seemed to be hours, until sparks finally flew and he had a fire. Link lit the bomb and put it near the door. Link covered his ears as the bomb exploded and the door was blown off its hinges. He walked in the door to see Ruto shackled, much like Darunia was. Link walked towards Ruto and cut off the shackles.

"Are you ok?" Link asked.

Ruto didn't say anything, but rather gave Link a friendly, a very friendly, embrace. "You saved me again. Do you have any idea how romantic that is?"

Link pulled back. What would Malon say if she saw this? "Ruto? What happened?"

Ruto shook off her sudden ecstasy. "He's been here Link. Meyson invaded the temple."

"Did he…?"

"The Zora's Sapphire? I'm afraid so. He's taken it."

Link was too late. Meyson now had two of the stones. "Ruto, how did it happen?"

Ruto looked angry. It was a look of outrage. "He's slippery. I never saw him coming. But he came all right…"

* * *

Ruto had the day all to herself. She had the water level raised up to the second floor. And she was ready to take a relaxing swim. It was the first time she'd been alone in days, after so many of her father's messengers came by asking about her and telling her what was happening back at the domain. Ruto was ready to dive in, when something jumped out of the water. Ruto leapt back apprehensively, but it was just a Zora. It was undoubtedly another messenger.

"Greetings, Princess Ruto," he said. "I am a messenger from your father."

"I suspected as much," Ruto said dryly. "What is it this time? Another visitor? Another complaint about the rigged diving game?"

"Actually, princess, the situation back at the domain is much more serious," the messenger said.

Ruto looked at him curiously. "Serious? What do you mean? What's happened?"

"Apparently something has come up. It must be extremely serious because your father hasn't informed us of the situation. All he asked was that I come here to retrieve the Spiritual Stone of Water."

Her father wanted the Zora's Sapphire? It must've been serious. But what would he do with it? Ruto shook off those questions. This could be a matter of life or death. She removed the Spiritual Stone of Water from around her neck and handed it to the messenger.

"I hope this does help," Ruto said. Then she saw something that shocked her. The messenger's eyes began to glow red.

"Oh, it'll help ME, all right," he said in a deep voice. The next thing Ruto saw amazed her. The Zora messenger was transforming. It had transformed into a tall being covered in brown skin.

Ruto's instincts told her to run. But she felt something come over her. She found herself unable to move.

"I'd hate to think you were trying to run, princess," he said. "I'm not through with you yet."

He was interrupted by what sounded like someone drowning. The shape-shifter shook his head and stuck his hand in the water, pulling out three heads one by one. They were the heads of three Lizalfos soldiers.

"Weaklings," he said. "Don't any of you know how to hold your breath?"

One of the Lizalfos coughed. "Come on, Meyson. We've been down there for about five minutes. Reptiles need air, too."

"I suppose it could've been worse," the thing called Meyson said. "You three idiots could've blown my whole charade. But I have what I came for. I now have the Spiritual Stone of Water in my possession. But there's the issue of what to do with the Sage of Water."

Ruto looked on in fear. She could only look with her eyes, but she couldn't move an inch. What kind of powers did this 'Meyson' possess?

"Can we eat her?" the short Lizalfos suggested. "I'm in the mood for seafood."

"No, no, no," the chunky one said. "I ate practically half the fish in Lake Hylia. We need to throw her in the sea."

"What are you, stupid?" the tall one asked as he slapped the chunky Lizalfos on the back of the head. "She's a Zora. Her entire domain's made of water. We need to do something like slice her and dice her."

"Hmm, you're suggestion is tempting, Kreature," Meyson said. "But my final objective is almost complete. And I want her around to witness the destruction of her people. No, we should do something simple and just leave her in shackles."

Ruto felt the three Lizalfos start moving her immobile body towards the room in which Link, the Hero of Time, defeated Morpha, the giant amoebae. As Ruto was being shackled, she had to say something.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Ruto asked.

Meyson laughed evilly. "I am the evil that hasn't been seen in Hyrule since Zora's Domain froze over. I am the final solution. I am the final and ultimate hand of the great Ganondorf. I AM **MEYSON!!** And what do I want? The thing I want from you is your stone, and I have it. The thing I wanted from the Fire Sage was his stone and I have it. Now there is one left." He looked at his three reptilian followers. "Get your bug spray, boys. We're going to the forest."

"Saving the easiest for last, are you Meyson?" the tall Lizalfos asked.

Meyson laughed again. "You read my mind, Kreature. It'll be like taking candy from a baby. Or…from a Kokiri." The evil being turned to leave, but abruptly turned back around. "Oh, yes. I almost forgot." Meyson raised his arm and a bright ball of energy formed in his hand. He then threw the ball directly at the chest of Ruto.

It was the last thing she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

"That's all I can remember," Ruto told Link. "But the point is, he's got it. He's got the stone."

Link knew that. He knows that Meyson already has the Spiritual Stone of Water. That's what had him so nervous at that moment. What did have him nervous was the thought of where Meyson would strike next. He knew the answer, but he asked anyway.

"Ruto? Where did he say he was going next?"

The Zora princess looked somberly at Link. "The forest. He said he was going to the forest."

Link had to leave immediately. His Kokiri friends were in serious danger. And he couldn't stand to think of what might happen to Saria. "Thanks, Ruto. I've got to get going. I don't have a moment to lose."

"I'll do what I can, Link." Ruto said. But Link knew she couldn't really do anything. It was up to him to stop Meyson. And Link left, swimming as fast as he could.

  
Chapter 13  


The forest. The sun was starting to rise in the forest. Hardly anything could be heard that morning. But that was because there were no Kokiri in the forest. The forest village had been destroyed by an army of 30 radical Hylians. The 12 Kokiri who resided in the village had been relocated to the Forest Temple to be around Saria, the Forest Sage.

But whether it was 12, 13, or 100 of them, they were still just Kokiri. They were mere children and they would crumble at the hands of Meyson. And Meyson would have the Spiritual Stone of Forest. The only task remaining after that would be to take the Ocarina of Time from Princess Zelda. Then Meyson could infiltrate the Temple of Time and the Sacred Realm and release his master, the great Ganondorf.

As Meyson and his three Lizalfos cohorts approached the Forest Temple, Meyson stopped to see his next targeted location.

"Look at it, boys," the evil shape-shifter said. "The Forest Temple. The location of the final stone. What do you think? Are you three capable of handling 12 or 13 obnoxious Kokiri?"

The tall one, Kreature, answered first. "Of course, Meyson. They ARE just children."

The short one, Krash, continued. "They ARE just brats."

The chunky one, Og, finished. "They ARE what they are, because that's what they say they are, and that's all they can ever be."

Kreature smacked Og upside the head. "What the heck is that supposed to mean? You give me such a headache sometimes." Kreature looked back up at Meyson. "We can do it, Meyson. Because we're rowdy."

"We're ready," Krash continued.

"We're reptiles," Og finished.

"We are COMBAT," they said in unison.

Meyson groaned. "Do you know how old it's starting to get to see you three numbskulls do your song and dance all the time?"

"Really?" Kreature asked.

"We think we've got something fresh," Krash said.

"The Three Zora-teers got nothing on us," Og added.

"Never mind," Meyson said frustratingly. "Let's just get ready to go up. Hand me the rope, Kreature."

Kreature pulled out the rope. "Here you go, Meyson."

Meyson threw the rope up on the far side of the Forest Temple so that they would not be seen. All four villains climbed the rope.

"Should we invite ourselves in?" Krash asked.

"No," Meyson answered. "You three morons stay out here and wait for my signal. It's time I give another awesome performance and I don't need you three fouling it up."

Meyson began to transform. It would be a disguise that none of the Kokiri would be able to see through.

"Hey, great disguise, Meyson," Kreature said.

"They'll never be able to tell the difference," Krash added.

"Bravo. I know I'm convinced," Og finished.

"You three are too kind," Meyson said. "Now wait here. I may be a while."

Before Meyson walked in, Kreature asked one more question. "Hey Meyson, what about the Hero of Time, Link? What if he shows up?"

Meyson laughed. "Don't think I haven't anticipated the interference of the Hero of Time. After all, this 'Saria' is supposedly his best friend. And if I'm not mistaking, he should have Princess Zelda along with him by now. So I know which way they'll be trying to come in. Don't worry about him. I have a little something that should keep the Hero of Time far away from this temple."

And Meyson, in disguise, walked into the Forest Temple.

  
  


It was a long night for Malon. It was too hard to sleep that night. Link was used to sleepless nights, he was almost like a machine. But there were too many things on the mind of Malon. She wondered if Link had found the stone. He had been in the Water Temple the whole night, so she began to doubt it. If the stone was gone, then she wondered what kind of emotional state Link would be in. And she couldn't shake the possibility that the evil Ganondorf could return once more to wreak havoc on the world.

Then Malon saw a sight that both relieved and scared her at the same time. It was Link. He finally emerged from the depths of Lake Hylia. But the expression on his face was grim.

"Link?" Malon asked. "What happened?"

Link frowned. "We're too late. He's got the Spiritual Stone of Water. And…he's going to the forest."

  


Comments? Feel free to review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com


	3. Ganondorfs Hand: Forest Temple Invasion

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is not only my second attempt at a fic, but also my first attempt at a true epic. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (I haven't used one yet) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be something special.

  
Chapter 14  


It had been two months. It was two months since the Kokiri 12 had moved into the Forest Temple. Granted, it was a tragedy that the village that she had lived in nearly her whole life was burned down. But Saria couldn't be happier that her friends had come to live in the Forest Temple. It had ended five years of solitude, loneliness, and stormy nights in which she would cry herself to sleep. And while life wasn't the same as it was back in the village, it was a good life nonetheless.

Saria was almost worried that her day might be boring, but suddenly she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"AAAHHH!!" Saria screamed as she jumped into the bush on the side of the courtyard garden. Saria poked her head to see Somi, one of her best friends. "Somi! Why did you have to scare me like that? Can't you just call instead of just appearing out of nowhere like some Poe?"

Somi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. But there's something I've got to tell you."

Saria grinned. "What? Did the Know-It-All brothers get stuck in the hole again?"

"No," Somi answered. "It's nothing like that."

"Hmm…the girls haven't been gossiping about me again, have they?"

"Uh, no."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's Mido. He called a meeting in the main entrance hall."

Saria didn't know what to make of that. It had been a long time since Mido had called a meeting. In fact, for Saria, it had been many years since she had been at a Kokiri meeting. And Mido had changed since the Imprisonment War. If he called a meeting, then it must be important. "Well, I guess we'll have to go." Saria began to head out, but Somi grabbed her arm.

"Wait a minute, Saria. You aren't in a hurry to get to that meeting, are you?" Somi asked. "You remember how all the meetings are, don't you?"

"All the meetings?" Saria asked. "You mean all the years that I've been gone and nothing's changed?"

"Exactly," Somi responded. "I remember one of the first meetings we had after you left…"

* * *

Somi had no idea why Mido called this meeting. All she knew was, it had been six months since Saria had left. And meetings haven't been the same without her.

"I declare that this meeting begin," Mido said.

"Good," said Miso, the boy who always cut Saria's grass. "Now can you declare this meeting over?" The Kokiri laughed, except for Mido. The chaos had begun.

"D'oh. Don't you all start with me. I call these meetings for a reason," Mido responded.

"And none of those reasons are any good," Dore, one of the Know-It-All brothers, shouted. Somi and the other Kokiri were often witness to power struggles between Dore and Mido. And somehow, someway, Mido would always retain his power.

"I'm not arguing with you people tonight. I'm past that," Mido declared proudly.

That was something Somi and the other Kokiri couldn't understand. Mido had been so confrontational before. But a few years ago, Mido…changed. He had become less cocky, less angry, and didn't throw his weight around as much anymore.

"First order of business," Mido continued. "Has anybody, I mean anybody, seen Saria anywhere? She's been gone for months."

"Nope," Dila, the eldest of the Know-It-All brothers, said. "Face it, Mido, she's gone."

"But what could have happened to her?" asked Fala, one of the twins and probably the most panicky of the Kokiri.

"Well, she said she was going to the Forest Temple," said Sofa, the youngest of the Know-It-All brothers. "Maybe one of monsters got her."

"Yeah," added Ralo, Fala's twin sister. "She could be dead for all we know."

Somi didn't want to face that possibility. And she wasn't the only one.

"Don't say that!" exclaimed Sodo, the peaceful boy who watched the bridge to the vastness. "She can't be dead. I won't believe that!" It appeared to Somi that Sodo missed Saria as much as she did.

"Enough!" Mido said. "The last thing in the world I want is for Saria to be dead. But it's been months. Unfortunately, it's a possibility that we must all consider." The room grew silent at that sobering revelation. "On another topic, we need to beef up security around here. The monsters seem to be multiplying by the day."

"Well, we can't be expected to be the only protectors of the village," Dila said. The Know-It-All brothers could always be seen training for battle everyday. But lately, they've been called into action a lot, fighting the Giant Deku Babas and the Mad Deku Scrubs that have been plaguing the village.

"And protecting this village isn't exactly a high-paying job," Dore added.

"Yeah," Sofa finished. "We're always buying arrows from Domi. We're practically broke."

"Hey, don't blame me," Domi, the shopkeeper, said. "I'm just a business man trying to make a profit."

"More like a cheat trying to take all our rupees," Sofa responded.

"Hey, don't call Domi a cheat," Rala said. Rala was one of the more attractive of the Kokiri girls. But she only had eyes for Domi, which boggled the minds of the other Kokiri boys. "His prices are always fair."

"Compared to what?" Dore shot back.

"Yeah, Rala," added Dila "You're only saying that because you're always getting a discount."

"Of course, we can't ask girls to understand this argument," Miso said loudly.

"What do you mean by that?" Mira asked. Somi was surprised to hear her speak. Mira had always been the recluse of the village. She wasn't seen much, except by Somi who lived with her, and she was rarely heard. Suddenly, it was as if a chain reaction had been set off.

"Yeah, what's wrong with girls?"

"Girls just don't understand."

"What? That boys are stupid?"

"Hey, we're not the ones who don't understand."

"We understand perfectly. You boys are stupid."

"Are not. Girls are."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

Somi was always more than willing to join in these little tiffs. But tonight, she wasn't in the mood. She decided to walk out amidst the chaos.

* * *

Saria wasn't exactly ecstatic over the memories. "I guess some things never change. But I think we have to go anyway."

Somi grabbed a giant stick. Saria guessed it would be taken to the meeting just in case. Hey, at these meetings, a stick was sometimes a necessity.

Saria was heading out, until Somi grabbed her arm again.

"Saria?" Somi asked. "Which door is it, again?"

Saria groaned. "Somi, you've been here for two months. And you still don't know which door it is? How do you even find this place, anyway?"

"I just get lucky I guess," Somi grinned.

Saria led Somi through one of the doors. If this were like any other meeting, it would be a long day for Saria.

  
Chapter 15  


As Link dried off, he saw the grim expression on Princess Zelda. And he saw the look of compassion on Malon. But he didn't want to notice them for too long. He had to get going right away. He couldn't waste a second in getting to the Forest Temple. His best friend, Saria, was in serious danger. Especially if Meyson was already there. He changed back into his Kokiri tunic and approached Zelda.

"Zelda," Link began. "We need to get to the forest right now. Before it's too late." He handed her the Ocarina of Time.

Zelda grasped the Ocarina. "Ok, everybody come closer. We're going to the forest." Link and Malon huddled up close to Zelda as she began to play the Ocarina of Time. Link had nearly forgotten how soothing the Minuet of Forest sounded. But his momentary relaxation was halted. The song had ended, but they were all still in Lake Hylia.

"What happened?" Malon asked.

"I…I don't know," Zelda responded in confusion. "Let me try again." Again, Zelda played the Minuet of Forest. And once again it failed. Link, Malon, and Zelda were still standing in Lake Hylia.

Link was seething. "Why are we still here?! What happened?!"

Zelda started examining the Ocarina. "I don't understand it. It should've worked. It always works. Something's wrong with it…unless…" Zelda stood silent.

Link tried to get her talking again. "Unless…?"

Zelda continued. "Unless Meyson sees us coming. He may have used his evil magic to block the Ocarina's power. We won't be able to use it."

Link was about to explode. He couldn't believe this latest turn of events. "So what are you saying here, princess? We can't use the Ocarina to go save my friends? And now we're stuck here in Lake Hylia, without our horses, so we'll have to walk all the way to the Forest Temple? By the time we get there it'll be too late!"

Zelda managed to keep her composure, while Link lost his. "Calm down, Link. We'll just go back to the castle and get the horses. It should only be a few days until we get to the Forest Temple."

"Do you even have a horse, Zelda?" Malon asked.

"I'm Princess of Hyrule. Of course I do," Zelda smiled. "Now let's go."

They all huddled together again. Link had never heard this song before, but of course, Link never warped to Hyrule Castle before. In a few moments, Link saw a white light. They were being transported.

  
  


Saria was just leaning on the wall, waiting for this meeting to begin. But it was something about this that made her a bit uneasy. Something about this wasn't right, she could sense it. Of course as paranoid as she was that day, of course she jumped when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. When she turned around, she expected to see Somi, but it wasn't her.

"Hey, Saria," said Sodo, the peaceful boy. "A little jumpy today?"

If Saria had to describe someone's behavior as being unusual, she had to look no further than Sodo. He had been acting so weird since he moved in. Around Saria, his emotions would vary constantly. He could go from jittery, to giddy, to completely flustered. There was something about Sodo's behavior that made Saria curious. She didn't know what to make of it. Had he been traumatized? Did he have a near death experience and has he never recovered? Or had he simply gone insane from having to watch the bridge to the vastness for so long? Could it be withdrawal from not watching the bridge to the vastness? It had been a part of his routine for as long as Saria could remember, granted it wasn't by his choice but by the orders of Mido, and the sudden stop may have snapped something in the young boy's brain.

"I'm fine, Sodo," Saria answered. "You just scared me a bit."

"W-Well, t-that's good. How've you been?" Sodo asked nervously.

Saria could hardly take it. He was doing it again. He was starting to break into a nervous sweat. And he always seemed to do it around her.

"Sodo?" Saria asked the boy curiously. "Is there something wrong? You've been acting strange lately."

Sodo appeared to get flustered again. "Uh…uh…Hey look! The meeting's starting. See ya, Saria." And Sodo ran off quick. Something was bothering that boy, and Saria vowed to find out what it was, sooner or later.

But she shrugged that off for now. Mido had finally made his way to the top of elevator that went to the basement. Saria had to admit that it did give him a greater sense of presence. But that was probably just her opinion.

"Ok," Mido began. "Settle down here, everyone."

"Can't we settle down somewhere else?" Miso said. Everyone laughed. Saria could hardly believe it. Things really hadn't changed.

But surprisingly, Mido didn't respond.

"Uh, didn't you hear me, Mido?" Miso asked.

Mido ignored him. "We need to get to our first order of business."

"Can we just skip to our last order of business, so we can leave?" Dore smirked. Everyone laughed again, yet Mido was still unfazed.

"Hey, he's not getting angry. He's not throwing a fit like he always does," Dila pointed out.

"Are you ok, Mido?" Sofa asked.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Mido responded.

"You're acting different," Rala said. "You're actually showing…patience."

"Yeah. What's with that? You never show patience," Fala said.

The questions continued. But Saria noticed out of the corner of her eye that the Know-It-All brothers were huddled up. They had a plan, undoubtedly to loosen up Mido and liven up this meeting. Dore, Dila, and Sofa walked towards the elevator Mido was standing on.

"Ok, bros," Dore whispered to his brothers. "Just do everything like I said."

Dila cleared his throat. "Ahem…You, Mido. The only thing I see wrong…right now…is that you are still boss of this…uh…village."

Saria suppressed a giggle. The way Dila said that was so obviously…scripted. She saw Dore poke Sofa in the ribs with his elbow.

"Uh, oh yeah," Sofa said. "Your leadership…is, uh…incomp…uh…incomp…uh…it's really bad."

Dore shook his head. "Yeah, Mido. Why ARE you the boss, anyway?"

Mido stood with a flustered expression. "I…don't know."

Everyone gasped at that, even Saria. They couldn't believe what they just heard, especially coming from Mido. Saria couldn't believe it, either. Had Mido really changed this much?

Dore looked especially confused. "Uh…what? No 'because I say so'? No 'who else could be the boss'? No sudden change of subject? This doesn't sound like the Mido we know."

Then Saria saw something that struck her. It had scared her more than anything, and the rest of the Kokiri became panicked as well. Mido's eyes began to glow red.

"Well," he said in a deep voice. "Maybe I'm not the Mido you know."

  
Chapter 16  


Saria and the Kokiri stood dumbfounded. The sudden shock was too much, they could hardly move. This wasn't the real Mido. Saria's fears and suspicions were confirmed when the fake Mido transformed into a tall being covered in brown skin. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

The thing laughed evilly. "Ok, boys," he said. "Round them all up."

Saria saw three Lizalfos soldiers, one tall, one short, and one chunky, come in through the Forest Temple entrance. Saria tried to run, but she felt something come over her. She was catatonic and apparently so were the other 11 Kokiri. What was this thing and what kind of powers did it have? She wondered these things as the three Lizalfos tied up all the Kokiri.

"What do we do with them, Meyson?" the short one asked.

"Can we slice them and dice them?" the tall one asked.

"No, fools," the thing called 'Meyson' said. "We're going to throw them with their friend, Mido. Bring them all down, boys. We're going to the basement."

Saria still could not move. As the Lizalfos carried them all down, Saria could only what this 'Meyson' was and what he wanted.

  
  


Link, Malon, and Zelda all arrived in Hyrule Castle. The sun had risen and Link hadn't slept all night. But sleep was the last thing on his mind. He had to get to the Forest Temple.

"Zelda, try the Ocarina again," Link suggested.

They all huddled up as Zelda played the Minuet of Forest again. But again it failed, much to Link's dismay.

"We'll have to take the horses," Malon said. Link heard her whispering to Zelda, "We'd better go fast. It looks like Link's about to snap."

They all began to walk out of the castle and head towards the horses. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Link could only imagine the mismatch that would happen if Meyson got to the Kokiri. And Link knew how spirited Saria was. She wouldn't just hand Meyson the Spiritual Stone of Forest. He shuddered to think of what Meyson would do to her if she resisted.

"If we leave now, how long will it take us to get there?" Link asked.

"Who knows? It may be days." Zelda answered.

Link mounted Epona. "But before we go, are there any red potions around?"

"I have a few bottles with me," Zelda answered.

"Red potions?" Malon asked. "What do you need them for?"

"Trust me. They aren't for me," Link answered. "They're for you. I'll explain it to you later."

Link began to explain the disease of the vastness and its corollary that applied to Hylians as they all left for the Forest Temple.

  
Chapter 17  


Well, Saria could finally move. But there weren't many places to move around. Meyson had discovered the five-room doorway in the basement. He had also figured out that iron bars could close off some areas of the room by rotating the room. That's where the Kokiri were being held, behind a cell of iron bars where they also found the real Mido. Saria still didn't know what this 'Meyson' wanted. But she reckoned she was about to find out.

Meyson began to speak. "I must admit that when I was making my plans to invade the Forest Temple, I was expecting to see only one Kokiri. But I wasn't expecting to see 13 of you. But no matter, whether it's one or thirteen Kokiri, they stand no chance against my power, because you Kokiri are all weak."

"I resent that!" Dore shouted. "We are Kokiri. And we are not weak!" Everyone shouted in agreement.

"SILENCE!" Meyson shouted. "If you Kokiri are so strong, then why are you are the one's who are locked up?" The Kokiri stood silent. "I came here for a purpose, and it's not to dispute how weak the Kokiri are. I came here for important business. I want the Spiritual Stone of Forest. Where is it?"

_'So that's what he wants,'_ Saria thought. He wants the Spiritual Stone of Forest. But why? 

Meyson looked at his three reptilian cohorts. "They don't seem to talking much anymore, do they? You three, fish out the Forest Sage. She'll tell me where the stone is."

The tall one approached the cell, while the other two approached the wall, standing ready to rotate the room. "Ok you brats. Which one of you is 'Saria'?"

The Kokiri stood silent.

"You'd better tell me," he continued. "Don't make me start slicing and dicing."

"What are you, simple?" Meyson asked angrily. "The Forest Sage has green hair. How hard can it be to find the one with green hair? Just pick her out."

The other two Lizalfos rotated the room to open the cell. Saria was nearly paralyzed with fear as the tall reptile went in for her. But then she saw a sight that would warm her heart. Her 12 friends had surrounded her.

"If you want her, you've got to go through us, first," Mido said bravely.

"How annoying," Meyson growled. He pushed the tall Lizalfos to the side. "Out of the way, simpleton. Let me show you how it's done." Meyson raised his arm and the Kokiri were each pushed to different sides of the cell. It was just Meyson face-to-face with Saria. Saria wanted to run, but again she felt catatonic.

The evil one grinned. "And you must be the Forest Sage. My, my, aren't you the pretty one. Hair as green as the forest. Of course, if you don't tell me what I want to know, then I'll have to tear it out by the roots."

Those words chilled Saria to the bone. The evil shape-shifter then put Saria over his shoulder and began to carry her out. Saria saw her friends all get up. They were all distressed that she was getting carried. They were uncertain of what the emerald girl's future held. They were unsure of their own futures. There was no telling what Meyson could do.

Meyson looked at the three Lizalfos, who were all lined up side-by-side. "I'm going up to have a little discussion with the Forest Sage. We may be a little while. Can I trust you three morons to make sure that these 12 Kokiri stay where they are?"

"Of course you can, Meyson," the tall one said. "Because we're rowdy."

"We're ready," the short one continued.

"We're reptiles," the chunky one finished.

"We are COMBAT," they said in unison.

"Just do it," Meyson groaned. "And don't mess this up. Or I'll make suitcases out of the three of you."

Meyson got on the elevator. As Saria went up, she could see the despair on each of the 12 Kokiri. She wondered what would happen to them. But she also wondered what would happen to herself if she didn't give this fiend what he wanted.

  
Chapter 18  


It was the last thing he wanted to happen. But it had happened. The evil thing known as 'Meyson' had taken Saria. It broke Sodo's heart to think about the pain she could be going through. He cared for Saria so much. He's had a crush on Saria for many, many years but could never muster the courage to tell her how he felt. It made him feel so much better when Link told him that Saria had felt the same way about him, a day before the Kokiri 12 had migrated into the Forest Temple. But, for some reason, Sodo still couldn't find the words to express his feelings. Instead he had come off as jittery, giddy, or sometimes even completely flustered, but he never told Saria how much he cared about her. What hurt the most was that now he may never get the opportunity. Who knows what that evil fiend was doing to her?

"Well, that worked well," Dore said cynically.

"Shut up, Dore," Fala growled. "At least we tried."

"Well, we tried and we failed miserably," Miso said.

"Yeah, and now we're stuck here," Sofa added.

"That guy sure packs a punch," Rala said. "I hit the back of my head pretty hard."

"I can get you a bandage when this is all over," Domi said. "Free of charge." Rala smiled warmly.

"What do you think he's gonna do with Saria?" Mira asked nervously.

"I don't know," Ralo said. "I suppose anything can happen."

Mido hung his head down. "She could be getting tortured for all we know."

"Yeah," Sofa added. "He said he was gonna tear her hair out by the roots."

Sodo couldn't take any more. "Don't say stuff like that. There's no way I'm letting that happen!"

Everyone looked at Sodo curiously. They were all shocked at what they just heard. Sodo may have just blown his secret.

Somi spoke first. "And…by that you mean, you have a plan…right, Sodo?"

Sodo realized what Somi was doing. She was trying to cover for him. But that probably meant she figured out his secret crush. Sodo didn't care at that moment, though. Having one person find out was better than all 12 of them finding out. Especially with people like Fala and Ralo, who could always be seen gossiping, and the Know-It-All brothers, who would undoubtedly tease him as often as possible. Sodo was glad that he had a friend like Somi at that moment. But he didn't really have a plan…or did he?

"Hmm…maybe I do."

"What is it?" Mido asked.

Sodo saw the three Lizalfos, collectively known as COMBAT, loafing outside the cell.

"Man, am I hungry," Sodo heard the chunky one say.

"Usually, I'd insert a good fat joke here," the tall one said. "But this time, I agree with you, Og."

"Yeah," the short one said. "We haven't eaten since before we left the Water Temple. But there's nothing to eat around here except bugs."

Sodo grinned. He DID have a plan. And if these three lizards were as stupid as he thought, then it would be sure to work. "Trust me. Just play along." Sodo looked at the three Lizalfos. "Hey, guys. I just couldn't help but overhear your problem."

The tall one walked over to the cell and looked at Sodo. "And what problem might that be, shrimp?"

"Please," the chunky one said. "Don't mention food. I'm starving over here."

"Yeah," Sodo said. "I noticed that you three guys are all hungry. Why I bet you haven't eaten in days."

"It's true," the short one said. "It's been days since we had a bite."

Sodo smiled. "What if I were to tell you that I know where to find some food?"

The three reptiles looked intrigued. The tall one spoke. "Keep talking."

"Well," Sodo continued. "I know Saria would kill me if I told you this…"

"Better than having us do it," the chunky one said.

"I guess I can't argue with that," Sodo said. "I know where Saria's stash of crawfish are. You guys can feast on it the whole day if you want."

It didn't look like COMBAT was won over just yet. The tall one spoke again. "What's the catch, shorty?"

"Well, you would have to let us all out so we can lead you there," Sodo smiled.

"Wait a minute," the short one said suddenly. "How dumb do you think we are?"

"Yeah," the chunky one growled. "We know it doesn't take all of you to get us those fish. That looks like something only one of you need to do."

This was going exactly as Sodo planned. "Well, I guess you got me there. Ok, then. Then just let me out. I'll take you over there and then you guys can bring me back with my friends. Is it a deal?"

COMBAT discussed it amongst themselves. "It's a deal, short stack," the tall one said. "Boys, let him out." The other two rotated the room so that Sodo could come out. They then rotated the room again to re-lock the cell. "Ok, lead the way."

Sodo walked over to the large door. "They're in here. Go right on in."

The three Lizalfos walked towards the door with their swords in hand.

"Oh, you won't need those in there, guys," Sodo said referring to the swords. "I can hold them for you."

"Hey, thanks," the chunky one said. They all handed their swords to Sodo. They were so heavy for the young boy that he nearly fell over. Then they walked in the door.

This was Sodo's chance. He slammed the door and immediately pulled out a key. He locked the door from the outside.

"Hey, there's no fish in here," Sodo heard the short one say from inside. The three dopey lizards began to pound on the door.

"Hey, let us out of here," the tall one said.

"Open this door," the short one continued.

"And show us where the fish are, already," the chunky one finished.

"You dope," Sodo heard the tall one say. "There are no fish. We've been had."

"Yeah," the short one continued. "This is all your fault."

"My fault?" the chunky one shot back. "It was Kreature's fault. He let him out."

Sodo left the three lizards to argue amongst themselves and walked back to the cell holding the other 11 Kokiri, where he was immediately greeted with a round of applause.

"Great job, Sodo," Mido said. "Now can you get us out of here?"

Sodo went up to the wall and tried pushing, but it was too much for a small Kokiri to push. "I can't, it's too heavy."

The Kokiri stood murmuring quietly.

"It's ok, though," Sodo said, hoping to calm them down. "I'll go find Saria and bring her back."

Somi ran up to the bars. "Sodo, you can't. That guy's too powerful. What if he sees you?"

"I don't care," Sodo said bravely. "I've got to help Saria. I'll come back." _'Assuming I survive,'_ he thought.

Sodo walked into the elevator and began his search for Saria.

  
Chapter 19  


It had been days, but Link, Malon, and Zelda were finally in the Lost Woods. Like Link suspected, Malon soon began to cough violently, but the red potions stopped it before it became too serious.

Link led the way through each of the tunnels that would lead into the Sacred Forest Meadow. But there was an eerieness to the forest that night. There was hardly a creature stirring that night.

Link could see Zelda and Malon looking around in amazement.

"Link, you really used to live here?" Malon asked.

"It's so beautiful," Zelda added. "And it's so peaceful. It's nothing like the towns in Hyrule."

Link began to marvel as well. "I really did used to live here. And I never noticed what I had. Compared to what I had a few years ago, this was paradise. I guess it's true what they say. 'You don't know what you got 'til it's gone'."

Link, Malon, and Zelda then approached another tunnel. It looked exactly like the other tunnels, but Link knew this one was different.

"This is it," Link said. "This is the tunnel that leads to the Sacred Forest Meadow. And through there, we'll be at the temple."

The three went through the tunnel, but what Link saw next made him want to tear his hair out. There was a huge gate blocking the entrance to the Sacred Forest Meadow. Link tried to break it down but he couldn't. In front of him, Link saw the faces of Malon and Zelda grow panicked. Then a large shadow appeared over Link. He turned around to see a huge Stalfos knight, standing armed and ready for a fight.

"I am the guardian Stalfos of these woods. You may only cross this gate if you defeat me in combat."

  
  


Comments? Please review below or write me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	4. Ganondorfs Hand: The First Battle betwee...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is not only my second attempt at a fic, but also my first attempt at a true epic. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (I haven't used one yet) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be something special.

  
Chapter 20  


"Malon, Zelda, stand back!" Link shouted. He unleashed his sword knowing that he would be in for a fight. It was just a little more than two months since he came by this gate to take the Kokiri 12 to the Forest Temple. Now in the brief span between then and now, a Stalfos now occupied the area. And it wouldn't let Link pass without a fight.

The Stalfos approached Link. "Prepare to defend yourself."

The Stalfos struck first with an overhead thrust of his sword, which Link successfully blocked. Link and the Stalfos traded blows, until the Stalfos kicked Link down. The Stalfos went for the final blow, but Link managed to roll out of the way and kick down the skeleton knight. Link then had the tip of his sword on the chin of the Stalfos.

"You failed," Link said. "You've been defeated, just like your master, Meyson, will ultimately be defeated."

The Stalfos chuckled. "Meyson? I don't know whom you're referring to. I don't know a Meyson."

"Don't lie to me," Link shot back. "If you don't work for Meyson, who do you work for?"

"I work for no one," the Stalfos answered. "I am a fighter. I live for the thrill of battle. And I must say, that was the most thrilling battle I've had since I came here a month ago. You have earned my respect, young man. You are quite an expert swordsman and a superb fighter. Even more so then the other fighter who beat me."

"Other fighter?" Link asked.

"Yes," the Stalfos responded. "He was quite the fighter and he possessed unbelievable magic power. He even had the ability to transform."

"Meyson," Link said to Malon and Zelda. "He's been here." He looked back at the Stalfos. "How long ago did he pass?"

"It's been a few moons since he passed," the Stalfos answered. "Is the one I fought the 'Meyson' you seek?"

"Yes, it is," Link said. "And we need to pass that gate. Or my friends will be great danger."

The Stalfos held out his hand and the gate came down. "There you are. The gate is down and you may pass. I certainly owe you that much for your awesome skills. Tell me, young man. What is your name?"

Link still held his sword. His introduction might bring about some hostility. "I am Link."

The Stalfos extended his bony hand for a handshake. "I am called Guerros. I now make my home here, occasionally fighting those who cross. But I must admit that my win-loss record is less than impressive. I have yet to win. I have been defeated by you, Meyson, and another young Hylian."

Link put his sword away and accepted the handshake. "Another Hylian? Who was that?"

"I don't remember completely," Guerros said. "But I think the name was 'Post Rapture'. You'd be surprised how often he comes along this area."

Link smiled. It was nice to see that Post Rapture was still keeping in touch with Saria.

"Thank you, Guerros," Link said. "But I must be going."

"Good luck, Link," Guerros said. "I'm sure you will find Meyson. I know it'd be a fight I'd like to see."

Link, Malon, and Zelda waved farewell to their new 'friend' and carried on towards the Forest Temple.

  
Chapter 21  


Sodo looked almost everywhere, but he couldn't seem to find Saria or Meyson. He had looked through nearly every corner of the vast Forest Temple. The peaceful boy was nervous. He couldn't bear to think what Meyson might be doing to Saria. But one thing was for sure. Sodo wouldn't let anything else happen to Saria. Even if he had to give his own life, he would free her.

Sodo continued looking through every door, finding them all empty. He knew he had to be getting closer.

  
  


Saria knew that her day would be far from boring, but this wasn't what she had in mind. She was being held prisoner by this evil shape-shifter, Meyson, and she had no idea what he would do to her. She could barely move. She was being held in a giant crystal, created by Meyson's evil magic.

Saria had to break the silence. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

Meyson laughed evilly. "I can't blame you if you didn't hear me the first time, Forest Sage. After all, I'm so intimidating that I scare myself sometimes. But there is something that I want, and you will deliver it to me. Where is the Spiritual Stone of Forest?"

"And what if I refuse to tell you?" Saria shot back.

Meyson grinned wickedly. "Ooh, aren't you feisty. I'd say it would be in your best interests to tell me where the stone is, or there will be consequences. And, mark my words, you won't like them. Now tell me, where is it?"

"I won't tell you!" Saria shouted.

"Wrong answer," Meyson growled.

He began to hold his hand in the air. Then, Saria felt her lungs begin to fail her. She couldn't breathe and was beginning to choke. It was as if a giant hand had been squeezing her neck tightly. It was a sensation like no other. She felt like she was dying.

"See what I'm capable of?!" Meyson shouted. "I could kill you at the snap of my fingers. I can keep this up forever, and I don't think I can say the same for you."

Suddenly, the grip loosened and Saria gasped for air.

Meyson approached the crystal. "I'm going to ask you one more time. And this time you'd better answer me, or next time I won't let go. And you will SUFFOCATE!!"

Saria wasn't giving up. "Then what? I'm the only one who knows where the stone is. If you kill me, then you'll never find it."

Meyson just smiled nefariously. "Then I guess I'll need a little more persuasion. Maybe one of your friends will suffice. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Meyson exited the room. Saria's heart sank. He was going to use one of her friends. She couldn't sacrifice her friends. It looked like she'd have to make a choice.

  
Chapter 22  


Meyson went back to the basement. He began to think about which one of the 12 Kokiri he would hold hostage. No matter who he held, the Forest Sage would crumble and give him the stone. Then the evil shape-shifter heard something. It was a set of three voices behind a door. Since Meyson didn't see anyone greet him upon returning, he naturally assumed the worst. He went towards the door and used his magic to undo the lock. As he suspected, the three Lizalfos soldiers, collectively known as COMBAT, each fell over into the room.

"You idiots!" Meyson shouted. "What are you three doing in there?"

Kreature, the tall one, looked around nervously. "Uh, we decided to go, uh, sightseeing."

"Yeah," Krash continued. "There's a lot of pretty pictures in there."

"And me without my camera," finished Og.

Meyson shook his head. "And what if any of these Kokiri had escaped? If they all escaped, I'd have made boots out of you. Now open the cell, NOW!"

COMBAT rushed to rotate the cell and open the cell. Meyson walked in and was delighted to see each of the Kokiri trembling in fear. But Meyson noticed something that irritated him. He counted only 11 Kokiri. There was one missing.

He looked at COMBAT. "You morons. There's one missing."

"Hey, he promised us he'd go back to his cell," Og blurted out. Kreature and Krash began stepping back.

Meyson was fuming. "You three dopes let him out of his cell?! What's the matter with you?! Have you no common sense?!"

"If it wasn't for common sense, we'd have no sense at all," Og blurted again.

Kreature smacked him on the back of his head. "Ok, now you're not making any sense."

"Jeez, Kreature. Don't be so 'sense'-sitive," Krash grinned.

"SILENCE!!!" Meyson shouted as he raised his arm. "I'm going to go find the one you let get away. DO NOT let anyone else escape, or you'll be SORRY!!!" Meyson shot a bolt of lightning crashing down around the feet of COMBAT, making the three reptiles jump.

"S-Sorry, Meyson," Kreature said. "It won't happen again."

"It better not," Meyson said as he stepped into the elevator. He knew what he would be looking for now. He would be looking for a Kokiri boy. Meyson then grinned. He had another brilliant idea.

  
  


Sodo was back where he started. He had been in the main entrance hall so many times, it was beginning to frustrate him. He went through the door into the courtyard and saw a sight that made his heart sink. He saw Saria and she was fallen on the ground. He rushed towards her and kneeled down beside her. She looked like she was severely beaten.

"Saria?" Sodo cried out. "Can you hear me?"

"Wha…What? Who is it?" Saria slurred.

This sight saddened Sodo. This is exactly what he feared. "Saria, it's me, Sodo. Say something."

"Sodo? He's looking for you," Saria struggled. "Meyson's looking for you."

"Saria, what did he do to you?" Sodo asked.

Saria eyes widened. She pointed at the door. "Sodo, he's right there!"

Sodo stood up. He stood looking at the door he just came through. "Come on, Meyson! I'm right here. Come and get me!"

But the voice came from behind Sodo. "Whatever you say."

Sodo was clocked in the back of the head with what had to be a huge rock. Sodo could barely react. He just fell on the ground and passed out.

  
Chapter 23  


This was it. Link, Malon, and Zelda finally arrived at the Forest Temple. Before doing anything, though, Link went up to the stump by which Saria would always play her ocarina. To Link's relief, the Deku Tree sprout was still there and in good condition. He wondered if any of the Kokiri noticed it yet.

Link took out his hookshot. "Are you ready, ladies?"

Malon and Zelda only nodded. Link shot the hookshot up to the huge branch. He then brought up Malon and Zelda. Link then prepared himself. He was about to enter the Forest Temple one more time. He prayed that he wasn't too late. If he wasn't, then he was ready to confront the evil being known as Meyson.

  
  


Saria waited impatiently in her crystal prison. She didn't want any of her friends in danger, especially in the direct line of Meyson's fire. But Meyson wouldn't stop until he had the Spiritual Stone of Forest.

Then she heard something. It was Meyson. He had returned and he wasn't alone.

"Well," Meyson began. "I guess I didn't have to pick one out at random. This one escaped and, get this, he tried to save you. He's very brave, and very stupid."

Meyson threw him down. Saria's heart broke when she saw who it was. It was Sodo. What he had done was so sweet. He had tried to save her, but now his own life would be in danger. Meyson grabbed Sodo by the tunic.

"You'd better tell me where that stone is, or he'll suffer!" Meyson threatened.

Sodo held his head up. "Don't tell him anything, Saria. Don't worry about me!"

"SILENCE!" Meyson shouted. Sodo tried to say something, but he couldn't. Meyson's magic must have left him mute. "You've got a choice now, Saria. You can tell me where the Spiritual Stone of Forest is, or I can start executing your little friends one-by-one starting with this one."

Saria was silent. She was torn. She couldn't give in to this wicked being, but she couldn't risk the lives of her friends.

"What's it gonna be?!" Meyson demanded.

Saria gave up. She couldn't see Sodo or any of her friends like this. "Ok. I'll give it to you."

Meyson dropped Sodo. "Well then, where is it? Give it to me!"

Saria pulled the Spiritual Stone of Forest out of her pocket. She was about to say something, but she heard something. It was a loud voice.

"SARIA?!?!"

_'That voice!'_ Saria thought. _'It couldn't be.'_ But the voice was unmistakable. It was Link. How did he know to come here? And did he know what was happening?

Meyson had noticed as well. "Looks like someone else has come to try and save you. You seem to very popular lately."

"SARIA?!?!" the voice called again.

"Ah, yes," Meyson grinned evilly. "I know that voice. It looks like the Hero of Time has finally managed to track me down."

It was true. Link really had come to save Saria.

Meyson chuckled. "But I have a feeling that Link will find more than he bargained for." Saria then saw Meyson begin to transform. It was a familiar form that shocked her. Meyson had transformed into Saria.

"He'll never be able to tell the difference," Meyson said in Saria's exact voice. He then left the room, to find Link.

  
Chapter 24  


Link was ready to begin his long search, but Malon and Zelda stood looking in awe at the vastness of the Forest Temple.

"Ladies?" Link asked annoyed. "Can we move on?"

"Sorry," both Malon and Zelda said.

Link was about to open his first door, but heard something unexpected.

"Link?"

Link turned around. It was Saria. The search was over as quickly as it started. He had found his childhood friend, apparently unharmed.

"Saria?" Link asked in relief. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Link," she said. "Nothing's really happened today."

"Where is everyone?" Link asked, noticing how empty the Forest Temple was.

"They all went for a walk around the Lost Woods," Saria answered.

"Did you see anything strange today?" Zelda asked. "Like an evil shape-shifter covered in brown skin?"

"I can't say I have," Saria answered.

The questions kept coming from Zelda and Malon. Link was relieved that Saria was ok, but he couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

  
  


Saria tried yelling at the top of her lungs, but it did her no good. Meyson was out there with Link and he had likely fallen for the evil being's disguise. And she couldn't blame him. Meyson's transformations were perfect, right down to the letter. The only way she could do anything was to escape. Then she saw Sodo begin to regain consciousness.

"Sodo?" Saria asked. "Are you all right?"

Sodo shrugged. "Not until I get you out of there." The young boy tried kicking in the crystal, but it was no good. Then he got another idea. Sodo went over and reached for a huge rock. He threw it at the crystal with all his strength, but it still didn't break. But to Saria's delight, it did crack.

"Hey," Saria said. "Do that again."

Sodo grabbed the huge rock again and threw it, making the crack bigger. He then continued throwing it, each time making the crack a little bigger. Until finally, the rock went through the crystal…nailing Saria on the arm.

"OW!" Saria yelled. "That hurt."

Sodo ran up to her. "S-Sorry. I didn't think it'd actually go through it."

Saria smiled. Little things like that didn't bother her at that moment. What mattered was that she was finally free. "It's ok, Sodo. But we've got to help Link before it's too late."

She ran out of the room, with Sodo following closely. Saria hoped it wasn't too late.

  
  


COMBAT were bored. They had been watching the cell for a while, not really doing anything. But that's when they heard something. It sounded like four voices. One was unmistakably a Kokiri.

Kreature looked at Krash. "Hey, you don't suppose one of these brats escaped when we weren't looking, do you?"

"Uh," Krash began. "I don't think so. There's still 11 of them in there. And I think Meyson caught the one that escaped."

"What about the other girl?" Og asked. "You know, the one with the green hair?"

The thought then hit Kreature. "Hey, you're right. What if she escaped while Meyson was looking for that other little elf? Boys, I think it's time for COMBAT to spring into action. Because we're rowdy."

"We're ready," Krash continued.

"We're reptiles," Og finished.

"We are COMBAT," they all yelled as they entered the elevator.

  
Chapter 25  


"Saria," Link asked suspiciously. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

Saria looked outside. "There's nothing wrong. Don't worry about me."

Malon looked down compassionately. "Are you sure? You can tell us."

"NO!" Saria yelled. "I'm fine, and I'm sure nothing will happen. Haven't you seen the Stalfos guarding the gate?"

Link's suspicions began to grow. "Wait, Saria. I thought you couldn't leave the temple."

Saria frowned. "What's your point?"

Zelda finished Link's point. "If you can't leave the temple, then how did you know there was a Stalfos out there?"

Before Link could hear her answer, he saw the elevator coming up. In it were three Lizalfos soldiers, one tall, one short, one chunky.

"Aha!" the short one yelled. "I knew it. She got away."

"Yeah, let's slice her and dice her," the tall one said.

"Ooh, ooh, let me do it!" the chunky one said as he pulled out a throwing knife. He chucked it towards Saria, and while it missed, it did get a piece of her arm.

Link was boiling. He was ready to tear these three lizards apart. But Malon tapped Link on the shoulder.

"Link, look," Malon said in utter shock.

Link couldn't believe it either. Saria was bleeding, but not the normal green blood of a Kokiri. Saria was bleeding black. That's when her eyes began to glow red. Link finally began to realize what this was. This was a ruse.

The fake Saria transformed into a tall being covered in brown skin. This was him. Link was seeing him for the first time with his very own eyes.

"Meyson," Link growled.

Meyson turned to the three Lizalfos. "Blockheads! You blew my cover!" He then turned to Link. "We meet at last. So, you're the great Hero of Time. There's not much to look at."

Link unleashed his sword. "That's what Ganondorf said."

Meyson chuckled. "Oh, the great Ganondorf may have underestimated you the first time. But he shall return, it's only a matter of time. It's just a shame that it will be I who destroys you. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Link asked.

"You have something I want. Actually, the lovely princess holds something I want. I want the Ocarina of Time. Give it to me and I spare you all the agony of destruction at my hands."

"No, Meyson!" Link shouted. "Your mad quest to bring back Ganondorf ends now."

Meyson grinned. "How disappointing. You had your chance, Link. But now, it is time for you to die." Meyson then began to transform into a familiar form. He had transformed into Link…no, Dark Link. "Remember me? I am your dark side."

Link didn't say anything. The fight had begun. Much like the Dark Link he faced in the Water Temple, he matched Link move for move. He couldn't believe that Meyson was matching him move for move. Neither one was backing down.

  
  


Zelda was growing more nervous. If Link lost, then all hope was gone. But Malon tapped Zelda on the shoulder. They looked at the three Lizalfos.

"Well, boys?" the tall one asked. "Should we avenge our little failure?"

"I think Meyson would reward us for this," the short one said.

"Yeah, let's get him!" the chunky one finished.

The three reptiles were about to make their move, until two Kokiri tackled them from above the elevator. Zelda recognized one of them as Saria, the Sage of Forest, but she didn't know the other Kokiri boy. They were outmatched by those lizards, so Zelda made her move. She hit the three Lizalfos with a blast of light. It left the three stunned.

"Hey, I can't move!" the tall one cried out.

"I can't feel anything," the short one added.

"I… had all I can stands, I can't stands no more!" the chunky one finished.

"D'oh. If I could move my arm, I'd smack you!" the tall one shouted.

Zelda looked at the two Kokiri and Malon. "I can't keep them like this. Quick, tie them up!"

Malon, Saria, and the other Kokiri boy made their move quickly. They reached for the ropes held by the reptiles and tied them up. When they were tied up tightly, Zelda released the spell.

"I'm not liking this," the tall one said.

"I still can't move," the short one added.

"Great. Now I've got an itch I just can't reach," the chunky one finished.

Zelda, Malon, and the two Kokiri high-fived each other. It was all up to Link now.

  
Chapter 26  


Link was still fighting, but he was growing tired. Meyson, disguised as Dark Link, wouldn't let up. Finally, Link tripped. He had fallen to one knee. Meyson was about to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly, a ray of light shot out and struck Meyson, who had shed his disguise. Link looked over to see Zelda, using her own magic to subdue the evil shape-shifter.

"Link!" Zelda shouted. "Take him down, now!"

Link got back to his feet and went to strike Meyson with his sword, and then there was a blinding light. Link could barely see anything. The others were blinded as well. When the light was gone, Meyson had disappeared and the only things that remained were the Spiritual Stones of Fire and Water.

Link walked over and picked up the stones. The others looked at him questioningly. He felt he should say something. "I-It's over. He's gone." The next thing he did was walk over to Zelda, Malon, Saria, and a boy he recognized as Sodo. "Is everyone ok?"

They just nodded.

"Well, we beat him," Link said. "We got the stones back."

Saria then looked at the three Lizalfos, still tied up. "What do we do with them?"

Zelda looked sternly at the three cohorts. "These three will be thrown in the dungeon. Then we'll figure out a fitting punishment."

The three usually outspoken lizards remained silent.

  
  


Saria was glad that this was all over. And best of all, her friends would be ok. She looked at Link.

"Thank you, Link," Saria said. "I can't thank you enough for saving us."

Link smiled back at her. "It was nothing. You know I would never let anything happen to you or anyone else here."

But there was one thing Saria had to do. She looked at Sodo. The peaceful young boy had put his life on the line for her and she was thankful for that.

"Sodo?" Saria started. "You risked your life to save me. How can I ever thank you?"

Sodo looked flustered and nervous. "I-It was nothing, really. I just…did what I had to do, I guess."

"Well," Saria continued. "I think it was really sweet of you to do that." She gave the young boy a kiss on the cheek. Saria saw Sodo blush. She could see he wasn't expecting that.

She looked back at Link. "I guess we'd better go let everyone else out."

  
  


Link, Malon, and Zelda were all ready to leave. The three Lizalfos, calling themselves COMBAT, were strapped to the back of Zelda's horse, still tied up.

"Goodbye, Link," Link heard Saria shout out.

Link looked up and smiled. "Goodbye, Saria." He, Malon, and Zelda then began to ride out towards Hyrule Castle. Then the Lizalfos finally broke their silence.

"Hey, I bet it's gonna be a really long trip back to the castle," said Kreature, the tall one.

"Yeah, what are we supposed to do to pass the time," asked Krash, the short one.

"I got it," cried Og, the chunky one. "Let's start singing our favorite traveling song."

Then all three Lizalfos began to sing. "1000 bottles of fish on the wall, 1000 bottles of fish. You take one down, pass it around, 999 bottles of fish on the wall."

Link had a feeling this would be a long trip back.

  
Conclusion  


The wandering monk saw them arrive. They were at the drawbridge. It was Link, the Hero of Time, Princess Zelda, and Malon, the young farm girl from Lon Lon Ranch. They were carrying in the three Lizalfos known as COMBAT. They came in singing.

"32 bottles of fish on the wall, 32 bottles of fish. You take one down, pass it around, 31 bottles of fish on the wall."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!" he heard Link shout. "You're driving me crazy!"

"Dang," said Kreature. "Now you've done it."

"Yeah, we lost our place," Krash added.

"Now we have to start all over again," Og finished.

Again they began singing. "1000 bottles of fish on the wall, 1000 bottles of fish. You take one down, pass it around, 999 bottles of fish on the wall."

The monk groaned. He walked into Hyrule Castle Town. But something was different about this monk. His eyes began to glow red.

  
  


Author's Note: As you can see, this is NOT the end. Meyson has not been vanquished for good. And rest assured, he will be back. (Didn't I say it would be an epic?). What will he do? Will he get his revenge on Link? Or will he go a different direction that could result in something even MORE evil? The next part of the story is coming.

  
  


Comments? You're more than welcome to review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	5. Meyson Returns: The evil arises again

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the second part of my epic fic and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (No, I don't believe I'll be using one) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be something special. (And Zelda fans, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR CHAPTER 3!!)

  
Chapter 1/Introduction  


It was a day since he saw Link, the Hero of Time, return to Hyrule Castle. He was riding with Princess Zelda and the young farm girl, Malon. And he was taking the three Lizalfos soldiers, collectively known as COMBAT, to the dungeon. Yes, the monk had seen it all.

He was standing outside Hyrule Castle. There was no one around. He had heard that Link went to Lake Hylia with Zelda and Malon to take a brief vacation. They felt they needed a few days of recreation after defeating the evil shape-shifter known as Meyson. It took everything they had. The fighting prowess of the Hero of Time was not enough to defeat Meyson. It took the magic of the Princess of Hyrule to subdue him. Then, and only then, was Link able to vanquish the evil villain. Or had he?

The monk laughed. The Hero of Time thought he had beaten Meyson, but nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, the monk standing outside Hyrule Castle was actually Meyson in disguise. Meyson loved being able to pull off such flawless impersonations.

Yes, he was foiled by Link that day in the Forest Temple. Meyson's quest to get the three Spiritual Stones had fallen short. He had successfully taken the Spiritual Stones from Darunia, the Fire Sage, and Ruto, the Water Sage. However, when he tried to take the Spiritual Stone of Forest from Saria, he was thwarted by Link. But he was far from finished. He would not rest until his master, the great Ganondorf, was released from his prison in the Sacred Realm. He thought the only way to free him would be by collecting the three stones and using the Ocarina of Time to access the Sacred Realm from the Temple of Time. But in the last 24 hours, Meyson figured out another wickedly brilliant plan.

However, it would require the assistance of his three minions, the Lizalfos who called themselves COMBAT. And they were being held in the dungeon in Hyrule Castle. But Meyson held uncanny magical powers. Getting those three imbeciles out would be a simple task.

So he decided not to waste time. Meyson transformed from a monk into a form that would surely grant him access into the castle, a castle guard. He walked up to the castle guard who was guarding the gate.

"Drew the late shift, did you?" the guard asked.

"Indeed, I did," the disguised Meyson answered. "I've been ordered to guard the cell of the three Lizalfos. Where can I find it?"

The guard pointed towards the far corner of the castle. "You'll find it in there. Good luck. I heard those three can be a handful."

Meyson almost felt proud. His three followers weren't taking their imprisonment lying down. "Are they being rambunctious?"

"No, they're being annoying," the guard corrected. "It's almost as if they can't shut up."

Meyson shook his head. He walked through the gate and headed towards the cell. Releasing those three morons would only be phase one. But Meyson knew that by the end, the great Ganondorf would roam Hyrule once more.

  
Chapter 2  


Kreature, Krash, and Og had been confined for one day and they were already bored out of their skulls. They had already counted all the cracks in the ceiling and already ate all the bugs that entered their cell. And they also reflected on their defeat in the Forest Temple. They were fighting lizards, yet they were beaten by kids. Of course, they didn't see them coming, but it was the principle of the thing. One of them was the same boy who had locked COMBAT in another room and escaped. Kreature was outraged that those two Kokiri would attack them like that, and he vowed to make them pay. But at that moment, Kreature could only hear one thing. It was an excruciating sound. It was Og singing.

"I got the blues," Og sang awkwardly. "Oh yeah, I got the blues. I got those, haven't had a bite to eat, those two brats I'd like to beat, for knocking us on our seat, they only win cause they cheat…BLUES!!!"

Kreature couldn't take anymore. "Will you, SHUT UP!!! If there were glass windows in here, they'd have shattered by now."

"Can we please be executed now?!" Krash pleaded to the guard. "Having to hear his singing is cruel and unusual punishment!"

Og looked outraged. "Hey, my singing's not that bad. In fact, if I weren't a fighting lizard, I'd be a singing lizard. With this voice, I open for all the major acts."

"Like who, the Deku Scrub-street Boys?" Kreature grinned.

"I don't even think he can open for the Goodie Mob-lins," Krash said,

"I resent that!" Og shouted. "I can at least open for New Skull Kids on the Block."

"QUIET!!" the guard shouted. "Don't you three ever shut up?"

Just as the guard said that, another guard walked in.

"Shift change," the new guard said.

"Thank goodness," the first guard said exhaustedly. "Good luck with these three." He handed the new guard the key and left.

The new guard looked at COMBAT and smiled evilly. His eyes began to glow red. "Greetings, boys. It's Independence Day."

Kreature recognized those red eyes. "Hey, it's Meyson."

"Where've you been, Meyson?" Krash asked.

"Yeah, we thought we you gonna leave us here," Og said.

"Never mind where I've been," the disguised Meyson said in his normal voice. "What matters is where we're going."

"Are we going back to the Forest Temple?" Kreature asked as Meyson undid the lock.

"Yeah," Krash said. "We want to get that little rat who thought he could outwit us."

"Yeah," Og added. "We want to get that little Sodo jerk."

Meyson chuckled. "We'll go back to the forest, in time. But first, we have some business to tend to in the desert. Are you ready?"

"Yes we are, Meyson," Kreature said. "Because we're rowdy."

"We're ready," Krash continued.

"We're reptiles," Og finished.

"We are COMBAT!"

"QUIET you dunderheads!" Meyson said loudly. "They'll hear you!"

The disguised shape-shifter opened the door and let the three lizards come out. He then began to shackle their wrists.

"Hey, what's the idea, Meyson?" Kreature asked confused.

"I thought we were supposed to be free," Krash said.

"No, fools," Meyson said. "We have to make this look as legit as possible. And to do that, it has to look like I'm taking you prisoner."

COMBAT just stood there as Meyson shackled them. They knew how brilliant all of Meyson's plans were. They figured they would just ride this one out.

  
  


Meyson was still in disguise as he headed towards the castle's main gate. He was now leading COMBAT by a giant chain. It looked like he was taking them prisoner and it would be sure to fool that simple guard at the gate. But the guard had stopped him anyway.

"Where are you going?" the guard asked. "Where are you taking these three."

"New orders from the Princess," the disguised Meyson said. "I'm taking these three to prepare for their execution."

"Yeah," Kreature said. "We're getting our heads cut off."

"None of that hanging stuff for us," Krash continued."

"No noose, is good noose," Og finished.

Meyson shook his head and kept walking until they were far from anyone's sight. Meyson finally transformed back into his original form, a tall being covered in brown skin.

"No noose is good noose?" Meyson asked. "Are you trying to blow our cover, you idiots?!"

"We were just trying to help," Kreature grinned sheepishly.

"Next time, you can help by not saying ANYTHING!" Meyson shouted. "Now stand back, we're going to the desert." Meyson then cast a spell. A huge black cloud appeared over the four villains and began transporting them to the desert.

  
Chapter 3  


The sun began rising in Lake Hylia. It was a beautiful sight. Link had just gotten up and marveled at the wondrous sight. But he soon wasn't alone. Malon had soon gotten up and sat by the side of Link.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Malon asked.

"Yeah," Link agreed. He still saw something was bothering Malon. Something was bothering her since they were locked in the dungeon shortly before they met with Zelda. "Malon, is there something wrong?" Malon got that scowl on her face again. Link could hardly stand it. He put his arm around her. "Come on, we've each other for a long time, you can tell me."

Malon shrugged off Link's arm. "Link, do you consider me a friend?"

Link was confused. "Yeah, of course. You're my friend."

"Let me rephrase that. Do you consider me JUST a friend?"

Link couldn't understand what she was saying. "Malon, what are you saying?"

Malon stood up. "Link, you hurt me. We've known each other for so many years. We've known each other so much longer than most couples. We've even had an extra seven years! And all you can do is consider me a 'friend'?!"

Link figured out what she meant. When he had introduced her to Zelda, Link referred to Malon as a 'friend'. But he didn't understand.

Malon continued. "I guess I should face it. You like Zelda more than you like me."

Something snapped in Link's mind. Malon actually thought Link liked Zelda? That was what bothered her? It made sense to Link now. That's why she was so quick to come along. She was jealous. Link felt…flattered.

"Is that what's bothering you?" Link smiled. "You think I like Zelda?"

Malon wasn't smiling. "Well, why wouldn't you? She's smart, courageous, beautiful, and she's a princess! What am I? I'm just a farm girl." The young farm girl began shedding tears.

Link took Malon's hand. "You are not just a farm girl. You are the most caring, compassionate, and beautiful person I've ever met in my life. And as you know by now, I've met quite a few. Malon, I care about you. And if I hurt you, I'm sorry. But please, believe me, when I tell you that I have no feelings for Zelda."

Malon dried her tears. "Really? You mean it? You…don't like Zelda?"

Link frowned. He began to remember everything. "Like her? Malon, do you have any idea what she's cost me? It's her fault I took that stupid quest in the first place. It's her fault that Saria almost died trying to find me. It's her fault you were beaten every night by Ingo. It's her fault I lost seven years of my life. And what did she tell me when I saw her again? 'I'm sorry, Link. I didn't know.' If she didn't know, she shouldn't have done anything. It's her fault I almost killed myself. It's her fault that I was such a tortured soul back then. It's her fault it all happened. It's her fault…that I'm the way I am." Link turned his back and hung his head down.

"I never knew you saw Zelda that way," Malon said soothingly. "But Link, that was all in the past. She made a mistake. You can't carry around that hatred with you for the rest of your life. She didn't mean for any of it to happen. And it all worked out for the best. Hyrule has been in peace for five years. She even helped you, Link. If it wasn't for Zelda, Meyson would have killed you."

Link didn't want to admit Zelda saved him. "I would have moved."

"Never mind that," Malon continued. "I've gotten to know Zelda and she's…a very good person. A person who made one mistake. Please Link, won't you forgive her?"

Link still sat with a straight face. "I'm not sure. It's not that easy."

Malon stood up. "Well, I have just one more thing to say before I go change."

"What's that?" Link asked.

"When you said it was Zelda's fault that you turned out the way you are?"

"Yes…?"

Malon wrapped her arms around Link. "I don't think that was so bad. I kind of like the way you are." Malon gave Link a quick kiss and left.

Link felt a little better after that, but forgiving Zelda? It was definitely something that wouldn't be easy for Link. Maybe he would…someday.

  
Chapter 4  


It was very hot in the Desert Colossus. The guays were flying above, ready to pick at anything. But not many flew down that day. There were many fried guay corpses on the ground, taken down by an annoyed Meyson. He was in disguise as a wandering traveler, but occasionally whipped out a bolt of electricity to unleash on the guays. The only thing that annoyed the shape-shifter more than the pesky birds, was the constant complaining of his reptilian cohorts.

"Jeez, Meyson. Why couldn't you just take us straight there?" Kreature complained.

"Yeah, it's hot out here," Krash continued.

"I don't know," Og said. "I kind of like having all the fried guay I can eat."

"Quiet!" the disguised Meyson said. "I didn't take us all the way there because I don't want to risk us being seen by one of the Gerudo. They're always going in and out of the Spirit Temple and I don't want any of them to see us. We've got to be inconspicuous. We need to go in there with the all-important element of surprise."

"Ooh, I love surprises," Og said.

Meyson ignored the dopey lizard and kept walking. He stopped when he finally approached the enormous Spirit Temple. He then transformed from a wandering traveler into a Gerudo thief.

"You three hide," Meyson said. "Someone's coming."

Sure enough, another Gerudo thief came out of the Spirit Temple. She looked at Meyson suspiciously. "I've never seen you around. What is your business here?"

"I've come seeking the exalted Nabooru."

"Well, you must know that you need special permission to see the exalted Nabooru. Who authorized you to be here?" the Gerudo asked nosily.

Meyson was ready to answer the question and continue with his plan, but he saw Kreature, Krash, and Og come out with a huge rock. They were ready to nail the Gerudo.

"BONK ON THE HEAD!" they shouted. They knocked out the Gerudo and began to congratulate each other.

Meyson transformed back. He couldn't believe what he saw. He grabbed the heads of COMBAT and collided them like coconuts.

"You ninnies!!" Meyson chided. "What part of 'the element of surprise' don't you understand? Does the word 'inconspicuous' mean anything to you?"

"Sorry, Meyson," Kreature said.

"Yeah, we thought we did good," Krash continued.

"Yeah, we sure gave her a huge bonk on the head," Og finished.

Meyson shook his head. "Yeah, but when she recovers she'll have the entire Gerudo army looking for us. Now we've got to find the Spirit Sage fast." He shot the Lizalfos a stern look. "If my plan fails because of you three, I'll make luggage out of you."

Meyson transformed back into a Gerudo thief. He walked into the Spirit Temple and began his search for Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit.

  
Chapter 5  


It was another hot day in the Spirit Temple. But such weather didn't affect Nabooru. She was a Gerudo, and besides that she had been used to being in the Spirit Temple. She had occupied it for many years and used it to conduct her daily business, especially in the room where Koume and Kotake, the witches collectively known as Twinrova, had held her captive. That's why it was such an easy decision for her to become the Sage of Spirit. It didn't take much away from her, if anything, and she was able to help defeat Ganondorf, a man whom she loathed. Nabooru figured she'd have the rest of the day to rest, seeing as her daily business was finished when the last Gerudo left the temple for the day. Unexpectedly though, she heard a knocking on the door. It took Nabooru by surprise, because she really wasn't expecting anymore visitors.

"Who is it?"

"Exalted Nabooru, I have something urgent to report," the voice behind the door said.

"Well, the door's open. Come in," Nabooru responded.

A young Gerudo walked through the door. She looked panicked. "Something's happened. The Gerudo's Fortress has been attacked."

"Attacked?" Nabooru asked. "Who would dare do such a thing?" Nabooru noticed that the Gerudo had not taken her eyes of a huge statue on the far side of the room. It was the statue of an Iron Knuckle, the huge armored beast. "Hello? Did you hear me?"

"What?" the Gerudo asked, enraptured.

"Who did it? Who attacked the Fortress?"

"Well, it's not much as much who attacked the Fortress. But who will attack the Fortress if he doesn't find what he seeks here in the Spirit Temple."

"Who?" Nabooru asked. "What does this guy look like?"

"Well, he's a tall being covered in brown skin." Nabooru noticed the Gerudo's eyes begin to glow red. She then transformed into a huge being covered in brown skin. "In fact, he looks a lot like **ME!**"

Nabooru pulled out her sword, but the thing mentally forced it out of her hand. She then found herself unable to move. She then saw three Lizalfos soldiers enter the room and tie her up.

"Who are you?" Nabooru demanded.

The thing walked up to her. "I am the evil that hasn't been seen in Hyrule since the Gerudo Valley bridge was under construction. I am the final solution. I am the final and ultimate hand of the great Ganondorf. I AM **MEYSON!!**" 

"What do you want?" Nabooru demanded.

"What do we want? Isn't it obvious what we want?" the tall lizard said.

"You're telling me you can't see what we want? How can you not see what we want?" the short one continued.

The chunky one looked confused. "Uh, hey guys? What DO we want?"

The tall one looked at Meyson inquisitively. "Hey Meyson? What DO we want?"

The thing known as 'Meyson' shook his head. "I didn't expect you three simpletons to understand." He then looked at Nabooru. "Don't worry, Spirit Sage, I don't require anything of you personally. But rather, it's something within your temple I seek."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Nabooru asked angrily.

Meyson walked to the huge Iron Knuckle statue. "I came for this Iron Knuckle. While it may be true that there are no living Iron Knuckles remaining in Hyrule, I have heard of the Iron Knuckle that dwells within this stone statue."

Nabooru shook her head. "That's just a legend. There's no Iron Knuckle in there."

Meyson chuckled. "We're about to find out if the legend is true or not." Meyson began chanting. It was a dialect that Nabooru didn't understand, but when Meyson was finished, the stone began to slowly chip away. She couldn't believe it, but the legend was coming alive. Soon, standing before her was a living Iron Knuckle.

To her amazement, the Iron Knuckle began to speak. "I am Titanos, the Iron Knuckle of the Spirit Statue. How may I serve you master?"

Meyson grinned. "Ooh, a talking Iron Knuckle. That's something you don't see everyday."

"Yeah," the tall Lizalfos. "It's almost as common as a talking lizard."

Meyson looked at his new servant. "I have a job for you Titanos. And I am confident you will serve me well. We have business in the Forest Temple and I'll tell you on the way." He looked at his three reptilian sidekicks. "Boys, are you ready to go back to the Forest Temple?"

"Yeah!" Kreature shouted.

"We got a little bone to pick with that little brat who thought he could outsmart us," Krash said.

"He'll pay for not getting us those fish," Og finished.

"Then we'll be on our way," Meyson said. He then looked at Nabooru and began to raise his arm. "But first, we have to leave the Spirit Sage with a little parting gift."

Meyson then threw a huge ball of energy at Nabooru. It's the last thing she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness.

  
Chapter 6  


Meyson soon found himself in the Lost Woods with his three Lizalfos, collectively known as COMBAT, and his newly acquired Iron Knuckle, Titanos. It would be a bit of a walk to the Forest Temple and as he expected, his three reptilian cohorts began to complain.

"Aww, Meyson. We're tired of walking," Kreature said.

"Yeah, why can't we just go straight to the temple?" Krash asked.

"We're fighting lizards, not walking lizards," Og added.

"Will you three stop whining?! What are you, weaklings?" Meyson shouted. "I've come this way for a reason and that's to test the strength of our new acquisition here."

"What is it you wish for me to do, master?" Titanos asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Meyson said as they crossed the tunnel. They were now entering the Sacred Forest Meadow, and if all went according to plan, he would soon see the true power of this Iron Knuckle. Sure enough, a Stalfos knight appeared in front of the gate blocking the entrance, just as Meyson anticipated.

"I am the guardian Stalfos," he said. "If you wish to pass, you must defeat me in battle."

Meyson grinned. This would be fun.

  
  


He didn't know where he was. Then it hit him. Link was outside the Forest Temple. It appeared deserted, until he saw someone finally appear. It was Saria, and she was imprisoned in a giant crystal, similar to the one Ganondorf used to hold Zelda captive.

"Saria!" Link shouted. "What's going on? What's happened?"

She didn't respond. Then a familiar form appeared in front of the crystal. It was someone Link thought he had disposed of for good. It was the evil Meyson and his three Lizalfos soldiers, COMBAT, and a new being that Link had not seen before surrounded him. It looked like an Iron Knuckle.

"You thought you beat me, Hero of Time," Meyson said. "But you only won the battle. The war is far from over and as you can see, I have nearly won. It's only a matter of time until my master, the great Ganondorf, is freed and he will rule the world! Mwahahahahahahaha!"

Link began to run towards Meyson with his sword unleashed. He wanted to strike him down, but the huge Iron Knuckle stopped him. It then thrust down its huge axe down on Link, and everything went black…

  
  


Link woke up in a cold sweat. He had done it again. He had another nightmare. But this one nearly paralyzed him in fear. If his dreams were always of something real, which they usually did, then it must've been true. Meyson was alive…and he was going back to the Forest Temple for Saria.

  


Comments (I know there's at least one for Chapter 3)? Review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	6. Meyson Returns: Re-invasion of the Fores...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the second part of my epic fic and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (No, I don't believe I'll be using one) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be something special.

  
Chapter 7  


Link walked out to the shore of Lake Hylia. He sat down around the shore and began to ponder his latest dream.

Usually when Link had a nightmare like that, he would wake up in a cold sweat and try and figure out what it meant. It was different this time. This time Link woke up in a cold sweat, but he pretty much knew what the dream meant. The evil shape-shifter, Meyson, was alive, that much was for sure. He had taken his best friend, Saria, as his prisoner. But Link couldn't figure out if this was a vision of the past or of the future. And he wondered about the Iron Knuckle he saw. He was much bigger than the other ones Link faced, but where did it come from? Link thought that all the Iron Knuckles were defeated and exterminated in the Imprisonment War. Did Meyson have one hidden? There was much Link didn't know about the evil fiend. If he did have an Iron Knuckle hidden, then what other monsters did he have up his sleeve? And would he unleash them on the Kokiri in the Forest Temple?

Before he could answer that question, he saw someone sit beside him. Link expected to see Malon, but instead he saw Princess Zelda.

"Did you see it, too?" she asked.

Link was surprised at the question. "See what?"

Zelda wore a grim expression. "The dream, Link. The forest, the Iron Knuckle, Saria, and…Meyson. Link, don't you know what that means?"

Link wasn't there yet. He was still wondering how the princess had his same exact dream.

Zelda continued. "It means we didn't beat him. He's still alive. And that means the threat is still looming."

Link knew that threat well. Meyson was in this to free Ganondorf from his prison in the Sacred Realm, and if he were freed, it would spell the end of Hyrule, as he knew it.

"We've got to go," Zelda said. "We need to stop Meyson for good. I just hope it isn't too late."

Link hoped it wasn't too late, either. A thing as evil as Meyson wouldn't take defeat so well. If he were still looking for the stones, he would probably kill Saria first.

Link now noticed that Malon had woken up as well and began walking towards him and Zelda. As jealous as she was, he didn't know how this would look.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" Malon asked suspiciously.

It was Zelda who answered. "We each had a nightmare. The same nightmare." Zelda was interrupted by someone else who approached her. He looked like he had been traveling for days. He was decked out in regalia of a castle guard, minus the giant helmet. It was a messenger of the Royal Family.

"Princess Zelda, thank goodness you're still here," the messenger said. "I have an urgent message."

  
Chapter 8  


Zelda looked at the messenger grimly. Link knew that the news couldn't be good if this messenger had come as far as Lake Hylia to deliver this message. But Link noticed something more immediate. Malon had walked up to him. Link had some explaining to do, being outside alone with Zelda.

"Malon," Link smiled sheepishly. "That wasn't what it looked like."

Malon smiled at Link warmly. "I know. Link, don't be so nervous. I trust you."

That relieved Link. If it were about a week ago, though, then Malon would have throttled him.

"What happened?" Zelda finally asked the messenger.

The messenger pulled out a giant note and began to read it. "Greetings, Princess Zelda. Stop. There's been a situation in the dungeon. Stop. The three Lizalfos calling themselves COMBAT have escaped. Stop. There were led out of the castle by what appeared to be one of our guards. Stop. But it was later discovered that no one had ever seen that guard before. Stop. So it has now been assumed that he was a fake and that the three reptiles have now escaped. Stop. End of message."

"Then it's true," Zelda said uneasily. "If the lizards are gone, then it really does mean that Meyson is alive."

Malon looked shockingly at Link. "Meyson is alive? He can't be. I thought Link killed him."

"It's true," Link said. "And if he's alive, then he's going to the Forest Temple. We've got to go right away."

Zelda nodded at the messenger. "Thank you. You are dismissed." The messenger left.

Link looked at Zelda who took out the Ocarina of Time. He and Malon gathered close to Zelda as she began to play the Minuet of Forest. But once again, much to Link's chagrin, they were still at Lake Hylia.

"Well, is there any more doubt that Meyson's still around?" Link asked angrily.

"It could be worse," Malon said. "At least the horses are here this time."

"I guess I can't argue with that," Link conceded. "But we leave immediately."

Link, Malon, and Zelda each mounted their horses. It would be another race against time for Link. This time, he hoped it wasn't too late.

  
  


Meyson, Titanos, and COMBAT stood on the side of the Forest Temple. They had easily defeated the Stalfos knight and Meyson was soon ready to execute the next phase of his evil plan.

Meyson liked what he saw when he looked at Titanos. He was a ruthless warrior with no compassion. He reminded Meyson of himself. The evil shape-shifter enjoyed the exhibition of watching Titanos easily dispose of that foolish Stalfos. And he knew it could only get easier from there. How hard could it be to fool a few gullible Kokiri?

"You want we should wait out here, Meyson?" Kreature asked.

"Of course," Meyson said. "Just stand by and wait for my signal. I shouldn't be too long."

Meyson transformed into another form sure to fool anyone and began to walk into the Forest Temple.

  
Chapter 9  


Sodo looked outside. The young boy was sitting near the entrance to the Forest Temple. It was almost nostalgic. He had spent most his life in the village watching the bridge to the vastness, but was finally relieved of that duty when the Kokiri moved into the Forest Temple with Saria.

Sodo was a wreck. It was a harrowing experience having the evil shape-shifter, Meyson, invade their home. And it made Sodo cringe when he thought of what could have happened to Saria at the hands of that fiend. Sodo had risked his life more than he ever had in his life. He risked slicing and dicing at the hands of COMBAT when he tricked the dopey lizards into an empty room. He then tried to rescue Saria himself, but was taken in by a sinister Meyson disguise and knocked out. Then he risked life and limb when he and Saria ambushed the three Lizalfos to save Link from an uneven fight.

The near-death experience made Sodo think. He reflected on his crush on Saria. He began to get the feeling it was more than just a simple crush. But there was one thing wrong. He never told Saria how he really felt, but that's what the peaceful boy was reflecting on. Had the evil villain killed Saria, then she would have died never knowing how much Sodo cared about her. He couldn't take that. He decided this would be the day. There would be no more waiting for Sodo. This was the perfect day, after all, because everyone was out in the Sacred Forest Meadow or the Lost Woods. He would tell Saria this very day how he felt.

The only thing that stopped him was a visitor that appeared at the entrance. It was a friendly face that Sodo instantly recognized.

"Link," Sodo said in amazement. "W-What are you doing here?"

Link looked at Sodo grimly. Sodo had a feeling this wasn't exactly a social call.

"Sodo, I've got to ask you, where is everybody?" Link asked.

Sodo knew it was a busy day. "They're all out. Well, the Know-It-All brothers are out in the Sacred Forest Meadow doing their training. Fala and Ralo are out somewhere in the meadow gossiping. Domi and Rala are in the Lost Woods somewhere trying to find some privacy. Miso went out to gather Deku Sticks. Mira found a new perch out there somewhere. She said it reminded of of her old porch back home. And Mido said he wanted to go out to the Lost Woods by himself. He said something about 'meditating'. The only ones here are me, Somi, and Saria."

"Do you know where Saria is?" Link asked. "I've got to talk to her."

"Yeah. She's in the main entrance hall with Somi."

"Can you take me to her? It's kind of urgent. I was hoping you would be there, too."

Sodo wondered what this could be. "Ok, this way."

Sodo led Link through the short hallway and entered the main entrance hall. Sure enough, Saria and Somi were sitting by a nearby wall. He was expecting Saria to come up running and giving Link a huge hug. Instead, he saw something that worried him. Saria and Somi were now standing in awe. They looked like they saw a ghost. Sodo turned around and knew exactly what had spooked the two girls. It had Sodo scared out of his wits as well.

Link was standing there…but his eyes were glowing red.

  
  


Link, Malon, and Zelda were finally in the Lost Woods. It was a good thing that Link had brought some bottles of red potion, because Malon soon began coughing violently. She took the potion before anything serious happened. Link wanted to make sure that Malon didn't become the next Stalfos.

Link crossed the tunnel leading to the Sacred Forest Meadow. He wondered if he could get to the Forest Temple before anything serious happened to Saria or any of the other Kokiri. But Link saw something that immediately grabbed his attention. The gate blocking the entrance was destroyed. And in the corner, was Guerros, the guardian Stalfos, who appeared to be fatally wounded…which sounded funny, considering this was a giant skeleton, but the situation was anything but humorous. Link walked over to the fighting Stalfos.

"H-He's been here," Guerros said. "And he went to the temple."

  
Chapter 10  


Link couldn't believe what he saw. The Stalfos didn't look like he just lost, but was beaten within an inch of his life.

"I-It looks I've had my final fight, Link," Guerros said.

"Don't say that, Guerros," Link said. "How did this happen?"

"I-I hope I can get out the whole story before I pass," Guerros said. "Here goes. Meyson came back and I, of course, challenged him…"

* * *

Guerros recognized this fiend. It was the huge being in brown skin that had defeated him. It was the one his new friend, Link, was looking for. It was the shape-shifter called Meyson.

"It is you," Guerros said. "You are the one Link was seeking. I shall honor him by defeating you personally."

"Do you think you can beat me?" Meyson asked. "You don't stand a chance."

"All I know is, Link wishes you to be vanquished," Guerros responded. "And I will be the one who vanquishes you."

"I'll tell you what, Stalfos," Meyson said. "Defeating you twice is tempting, but I have a new challenger for you. Titanos?"

A huge Iron Knuckle began to walk up to Meyson. "Yes, master? How can I serve you?"

Meyson grinned wickedly. "Titanos, destroy him!"

Guerros figured he should throw everything he had at this huge Titanos. He began to thrust his sword several times. His movements were so quick, they appeared like blurs. But the sword strikes hardly left a chink in Titanos's armor. Guerros continued his assault. He struck the Iron Knuckle from the front, from behind, and on the helmet. Nothing seemed to faze the huge monster.

Titanos unleashed his huge axe. He then knocked down Guerros in one mighty blow. The Iron Knuckle then walked over to Guerros and stood towering over him.

Meyson began to laugh evilly. "This exhibition has turned out much better than I expected. Excellent work, Titanos. Now finish him off!"

Titanos obliged. He began wielding his axe over his head and delivered a crippling overhead thrust.

* * *

"That Iron Knuckle was far stronger than what I expected," Guerros continued. "It was almost as if he were stronger than the average Iron Knuckle. His armor is stronger than anything I've ever seen and the power he holds when he yields that axe is unmatched."

Link began to grow nervous. He knew that he would soon face that Iron Knuckle. "Guerros, how long ago did he pass?"

Guerros coughed. "It hasn't been too long. If you hurry you can catch him. He must still be at the Forest Temple."

Link shuddered. He was after Saria again, and he couldn't stand that. "I've got to get going, Guerros. But I'll come back, I promise. You need help."

Guerros shook his head. "No, Link. It is too late for me. I have lost my final fight. But do not mourn for me. I am a fighter and I can say that I went down fighting. I shall die with honor." Guerros began to lay his head down, but pulled out a red rupee. "And do me one last favor, Link. If you see Post Rapture, give him these 20 rupees I owe him." Guerros then fell on his back and disintegrated in a puff of smoke. The fighting Stalfos was dead.

Link was saddened by the death of his new friend, but he had to keep going or he might lose another. "Let's keep going."

Link entered the Sacred Forest Meadow, closely followed by Malon and Zelda. He would soon be at the Forest Temple.

  
Chapter 11  


Saria thought she was dreaming. She hoped she was dreaming, but she wasn't. The evil Meyson had returned. He shed his Link disguise and shifted back to his original form.

"Hello, kiddies," he said wickedly. "Remember **ME?!**" 

Saria and Somi stepped back. There was no telling what could happen, and nearly all the Kokiri were out.

"Ah, the pretty little Forest Sage," Meyson said. "I've still got some business with you."

Saria could hardly move. She was frozen in fear. But then she saw something that could only warm her heart. Sodo had stepped in front of her. The brave young boy was standing up for Saria.

Meyson laughed. "Oh yes. I remember you. You're the one they call 'Sodo'. I know who would love to see you again."

Sodo looked to be frozen. He must have been under a Meyson spell. He was soon mentally thrown towards the door leading outside the temple.

"Oh boys?" Meyson called out. "Look who I have for you?"

Saria saw the three Lizalfos soldiers, collectively known as COMBAT, walk in and begin to surround Sodo.

"Hey, shrimp," the tall one called out. "Remember us? We've got a score to settle with you."

"Yeah. You thought you were too smart for us," the short one added.

"And now you're gonna pay!" the chunky one finished.

The three reptiles grabbed Sodo and began to walk into the door leading to the courtyard. Saria could only wonder what they had in store for the young boy.

Saria looked up at Meyson. "What do you want? Why are you here?"

Meyson grinned. "Don't worry your pretty little head. I'm not here for your stone this time. What I am here for is to take you on a little trip. You're coming with me."

Saria didn't understand. He was here to take her prisoner? Before she could say anything, Somi stood in front of her.

"If you want to take my best friend, then you'll have to go through me."

"Very well, then," Meyson responded. He waved his arm and Somi flew towards one of the doors. She had hit her head and was knocked unconscious.

The evil being then shifted his attention back to Saria. He waved his arm and Saria found herself again imprisoned in a giant crystal. She struggled to escape, but it was useless. She saw the three Lizalfos walk out of the courtyard looking proud of themselves.

"Did you three enjoy yourselves in there?" Meyson asked.

"Yeah. We just left that little brat 'hanging around'," the tall one said.

"He's at the 'end of his rope'," the short one continued.

"And if he makes a move, then we hope he'll 'have a nice fall'," the chunky one finished.

"Well then," Meyson said. "Seeing as how we're all here, I think it's time to leave."

**"NO!!!"**

Saria raised her head at the sound of that voice. She looked over at the door leading outside to see the one person who could save her now.

Standing at the door was Link.

  
Chapter 12  


Link walked into the Forest Temple and saw everything almost exactly like he saw in his nightmare. There was Meyson, COMBAT, and Saria being held captive in a giant crystal. Link told Malon and Zelda to step back. They each went to opposite sides of the room. Link unleashed his sword.

"Let her go, Meyson," Link warned. "Or I swear I'll KILL YOU!!"

Meyson only laughed. "You don't scare me, Hero of Time. The Forest Sage comes with me. And you will be destroyed." He looked out towards the door Link came in. "TITANOS!!"

Link looked behind him and saw a giant Iron Knuckle walk in wielding a huge axe.

"Yes, master," the Iron Knuckle said.

Meyson pointed at Link. "Titanos, I want you to exterminate this pest…with extreme prejudice."

Titanos began spinning his axe and thrust down towards Link, who moved out of the way. Link made his move while the Iron Knuckle was stunned. He struck him with many strikes of his sword, but it only made loud clanks on his armor. The sword strikes didn't affect him whatsoever.

Titanos pulled out his axe and again tried striking Link, and again he missed. Link jumped back and pulled something out of his tunic. It was a bombchu, the bomb that rolled. Link rolled it towards Titanos and the bomb exploded upon collision. When the smoke cleared, Titanos emerged from the explosion and wasn't even singed.

Link got frustrated. He rushed the huge Iron Knuckle and tried a full frontal assault. He struck the Iron Knuckle over and over, and couldn't make a dent. Titanos then reached back with his free hand and struck Link with a huge backhand. Link literally flew back and hit the wall. When Link got up, he noticed he was standing inches from Malon.

Then Link saw Zelda walk towards the action. She began to warm up a spell to throw at the Iron Knuckle. She raised her hands and threw a huge beam of light at the Iron Knuckle. But she missed him completely. The light beam didn't strike Link or Titanos…but it struck Malon.

Suddenly, for Link, everything stopped. Malon had been hit and she was knocked out. Everything else didn't matter to Link at that moment. He leaned over the unconscious Malon and desperately tried to wake her up.

He couldn't see that Titanos was warming up for the final blow.

  
  


Saria couldn't believe what she saw. Princess Zelda tried to help Link, but she missed her target completely and struck Malon. But what made this worse was that Link was now distracted. He was trying to help Malon, but couldn't see that Titanos was about to strike with his huge axe.

Then Saria saw the brightened expressions on the three Lizalfos.

"Hey, boys," the tall one said. "This is our big chance to do some slicing and dicing."

"Yeah," the short one agreed. "We can take down the Hero of Time when he's not looking."

"Let's get him!" the chunky one shouted.

The three reptiles unleashed a battle cry and began to rush towards Link. But the chunky one tripped and knocked down the other two. They began rolling and didn't stop until they had also tripped up the Iron Knuckle. Saria suppressed a giggle when she saw the collision.

"Hey, get this metal monstrosity off me!" the tall one shouted.

"Jeez, Og, don't you use any deodorant?!" the short one exclaimed.

"I feel like a lizard pancake over here," the chunky one said.

Meyson walked over to them and didn't take the situation as humorously as Saria did. "You imbeciles! You've blown a golden opportunity for me." Meyson began to look at the distraught Link. "But no matter, Link's time will come. My plan is nearly complete." He walked over towards Saria. "I have big plans for you."

Meyson waved his hand. A huge black light began to surround them. Saria couldn't believe it. They were leaving the temple.

  
Chapter 13  


Link thought he heard something. But he didn't care at that moment. Malon still hadn't come to. Link desperately tried to wake her up. If she died, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He knew this would happen if he brought her along. He couldn't picture his life without Malon.

"Malon, please wake up!"

Link continued to shake her. He did everything he could to try and revive the young farm girl. Link was about to break down. He didn't cry much, but this would certainly be the time. But Link spirits rose when he heard Malon moan. She was waking up. But his anger began to rise when he heard the next voice.

"Is she ok?"

It was the voice of Zelda. Link had had it. This was the last straw. After everything she put him through, this was the act that pushed him over the edge. He wanted to take his sword out and kill her right there. Instead he just stood up and faced Zelda with a stern look.

"YOU!!! YOU DID THIS! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Link shouted.

Zelda stepped back, clearly shocked. "Link, it was an accident. I'm sorry."

"Is that all you know how to say?!" Link asked harshly. "'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Well sorry isn't enough! You could have killed her! I can't take it anymore! I've had it with you!"

"W-What do you mean?" Zelda asked.

"Don't be stupid!" Link said cruelly. "Everything bad that's happened in my life is because of you! It's your fault I left my life in the forest! It's your fault I went on that stupid quest! It's your fault that Saria almost died when she went out looking for me! It's your fault that Malon was beaten everyday! It's your fault that I lost seven years of my life! It's your fault that I was almost killed every single day during my stupid quest! And it's your fault that Malon's down right now! Well I've had it! I can't take it anymore! **JUST GO AWAY!!!**"

Link was more angry at that moment than he ever was in his entire life. He saw that Zelda was in tears, but he didn't care. He hated Zelda more than anything at that moment. She began to run out of the temple crying. It might have hurt Link if it was anyone else, but not Zelda. After everything she put him through, he felt no compassion for her.

He walked back over to Malon who was sitting up, a good sign for sure.

"Are you ok?" Link asked.

"It's just my ribs," Malon answered, but then she looked angrily at Link. "But I can't believe you, Link."

Link was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Did you forget everything I told you?" Malon demanded. "She made a mistake, Link. Yeah, it was a big mistake, but it was one mistake from the past. You can't let it overwhelm you. But you did and you hurt Zelda."

"Malon, she could have killed you!"

"But it was an accident, Link," Malon said. "She tried to help you. Yeah, she could have killed me, but she didn't. You can't keep blaming Zelda. I mean, put yourself in her position. Do you actually think she's had it easy during the Imprisonment War?"

"Well…yeah."

Malon groaned. "Why don't you go ask her and find out?"

Link didn't want to go out. If he saw Zelda, he might snap again. "She might be gone by now."

"She wouldn't leave," Malon assured Link. "Her entire kingdom's in danger and she's not just going to pick up and go home because of a bonehead like you! She's probably just outside."

"What about you?" Link asked. "You're hurt."

Malon looked irritated. "You're gonna hurt worse than me if you don't go talk to Zelda, NOW!!"

Link couldn't argue with that. He walked outside the temple and saw Zelda sitting on the ledge.

"Zelda?" Link asked softly. "Are you ok?"

"Why? You've got something else to say?" Zelda asked sadly. "After all, I did ruin your life."

"Zelda, I didn't mean that." Link didn't know how he managed to say that, because he actually did mean it. "It's just that while my life in the forest wasn't the best in the world, my life was good. Then I went to see you and it all fell apart from there. My friends were almost killed, I was almost killed, and I lost seven years of my life all because of the hunch of some ten-year old princess."

Zelda looked at Link dejectedly. "You're not making me feel any better."

Link sat down. "But I guess what I'm trying to say is that you didn't mean any of it. You didn't deliberately try to sabotage my life. You were trying to do what was best for Hyrule. You were doing what you thought was best. And you just made one mistake. I can't carry around that anger with me for the rest of my life, I need to get over it."

It didn't look like Zelda was convinced.

"Zelda, I'm sorry for what I said. It just came out. I was worried for Malon, but that's no excuse. You only tried to help. And I'm sorry." Link didn't know what else to say.

"I…accept you apology," Zelda said. "But Link, I have to ask you something."

"What's that?" Link asked.

"I know that I messed up big time. I didn't want to ruin your life like that. But what's happened cannot be changed. All I can ask is, can you forgive me?"

Link didn't know how to answer. "I don't know. I'll have to think about it."

Zelda hung her head down. "I hope you do. I know you had it difficult back then, but I didn't exactly have it easy myself."

That was exactly what Malon told Link. He had to ask to about it now. "What do you mean?" 

Zelda was about to answer, until she was interrupted. Link turned around and expected to see Malon, but instead he saw someone else. It was Somi, one of Saria'a best friends.

"Link, come quick!" Somi shouted. "It's Sodo! You've got to help him!"

  


Comments? Then you should review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	7. Meyson Returns: Seeking the Spirit Sage

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the second part of my epic fic and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (No, I don't believe I'll be using one) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be something special.

  
Chapter 14  


Link didn't even see Somi inside the temple, but apparently she was there. And she was panicking. She said something about Sodo.

"Somi, calm down. What's going on?" Link asked.

Somi didn't calm down. "Link, please. You've got to help Sodo! You've just got to!"

"Somi, calm down," Link said again. "Where's Sodo?"

Somi began running into the temple. "This way!" she shouted.

Link and Zelda ran behind the Kokiri girl as she ran into the temple. Malon saw them both running and decided to follow. Somi eventually led them all into the courtyard.

"Where is he?" Zelda asked.

Somi pointed towards the sky. "Up there!"

Link looked to the sky and immediately saw the trouble. Link remembered the familiar walkway in which Saria almost committed suicide. This time he saw a rope tied around the walkway. Hanging from the rope, upside-down, was Sodo.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" Sodo screamed.

Link had to take action. "Everybody wait here. I'll be right back."

Link immediately ran out the door and began making his way through the temple to the door, which would lead to the upper courtyard. He climbed each ladder as fast as he could and jumped on each platform. Finally, he made his way to the door. He opened the door and rushed to the rope.

"Don't untie it, Link!" Sodo shouted. "If you untie it, I'll fall!"

This was quite a predicament for Link. He took out his sword but knew he had to do this just right.

"EVERYONE MOVE!!" Link hollered out below. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!"

He gripped the rope with one hand and began to cut the rope above his hand. He also wrapped his legs around the walkway, so that he wouldn't fall. He sliced the rope and let his sword drop to the ground. He quickly hung on to the rope with both hands for dear life. Link was only hanging on to the walkway by his legs. He struggled to pull up the Kokiri boy and began to slip. Link now had the rope by both hands, but his legs were slipping.

Then, suddenly, Sodo began to float up to the walkway. It caught Link by surprise and he tilted to the side. He began to fall off the walkway, but was being held in the air by some unseen force. Link was placed gently on the walkway. He turned around to see Princess Zelda standing there. It was her, using her power to help them up to the walkway.

Sodo broke the silence. "W-Where's Saria?"

Link didn't have the heart to say it. The answer disturbed Link as well. "She's gone. Meyson took her."

  
Chapter 15  


Link was dead tired. They were all in the main entrance hall now, which was a relief for Link. He needed to sit down after the near-death experience at the walkway. But he couldn't sit down for too long. Meyson had taken Saria and he had no idea where.

The only thing Link could do was think. The Iron Knuckle he faced was stronger than any Iron Knuckle he had ever faced before. Link had thrown everything at it, and it wasn't even fazed. It took the stupidity of three lizards to keep Link from meeting his doom.

"Zelda, where did that Iron Knuckle come from?" Link asked. "It was stronger than any of the other ones I faced."

"I don't know," Zelda answered. "I don't think Iron Knuckles were made to be that strong." Zelda then began to think. "The only thing I can assume is that it's true."

"What? What's true?" Link asked.

"The legend," Zelda answered. "I heard of an Iron Knuckle called Titanos that supposedly dwelled within the Spirit Statue in the Spirit Temple. But I thought that was just a legend."

"Maybe Meyson had the power to bring the legend to life," Malon suggested.

Link realized something. "If it came from the Spirit Temple, then maybe the Spirit Sage will know how to stop it. We need to go talk to Nabooru."

"It's worth a try," Zelda said. "After all, we don't even know where Meyson's going next."

"Then we'd better leave right away," Sodo suddenly said.

Link looked at the young boy in shock. "Wait a minute! Who said anything about 'we'?"

Somi looked like she agreed with Link. "Sodo, you can't go with them. What about the disease of the vastness? You know how potent it is!"

Sodo wasn't convinced. "I don't care. It's my fault that Saria's gone. I let that Meyson creep in here." He looked at Link. "Please, Link. Can't I come?"

Link wasn't backing down. Not this time. "Sodo, no. I can't risk your life like this."

Sodo looked sadly at Link. "Link, please. I've got to go. I don't care what happens to me. I've just got to save Saria."

"Sodo, no," Link repeated. "I can't let you go."

"Please, Link," the young boy pleaded. "I can't stand the thought of what might happen to her at the hands of Meyson. I can't bear the thought of never seeing her again. I…I love her."

Link was stunned. He looked across to see that Somi was clearly stunned as well. Did he know what he just said? Link thought it was just a crush, but apparently Sodo feels more for Saria than a simple crush. But still, Link couldn't risk his life.

"Sure, Sodo," Malon blurted out. "You can come."

Sodo smiled. Link didn't. What did Malon just do? "Malon, can I talk to you? In private?"

Link took Malon to the far side of the main entrance hall. She was smiling, but Link clearly wasn't in a jovial mood.

"Malon, what are you doing? How can you let him come?" Link demanded.

"Is there so much harm in letting him come?" Malon responded.

Link shook his head. "Yes! Kokiri can't leave the forest. They'll die if they do."

"I'm perfectly aware of that, Link," Malon shot back. "And in case you didn't hear, so is Sodo."

"He's not thinking," Link said. "He's running on his emotions. We've got to be rational about this."

"Rational?" Malon asked. "I don't know about being rational, but I will tell you what I just heard, Link. I heard the plea of a young boy in love. Didn't you hear him? He loves Saria and frankly, I don't think we have the right to stand in the way of love."

Link was getting frustrated. "What's love got to do with it? This is his life we're talking about. If he goes, he'll die."

"He'll be fine," Malon retorted. "We have plenty of red potions for him."

"He's not going," Link said firmly.

Malon wasn't giving up. "Maybe you didn't hear what I said. Sodo is in love. He's in love with Saria. The girl Sodo loves is in danger. He wants to go save her. Link, put yourself in his position. If a thing like Meyson kidnapped ME, then wouldn't YOU be willing to risk your life to rescue me?"

Link knew where this was going. "Of course I would."

"Well, this is no different. I don't see why we should keep Sodo from doing the same thing you would."

Link couldn't believe it. He had lost another argument. This time, though, the consequences could be much greater. He and Malon walked back over to Sodo.

"I hate to say this," Link said. "I really do. But Sodo…you can come too."

Sodo's face brightened. "Thank you, Link. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Just try and stay out of harm's way," Link said.

Sodo looked over to Somi. "Well, I guess I'm leaving, for now."

Somi wasn't comforted. "What'll I tell everyone when they come back?"

"Tell them I'm going to rescue Saria...or die trying," Sodo answered. He looked at Link. "Are we ready?"

Link nodded. He began walking out with Malon, Zelda, and Sodo. His party of three expanded into a party of four. This was originally supposed to be a party of one. They all climbed down and left the temple as Somi waved farewell.

"Where are we going first?" Sodo asked.

"We're going to the Desert Colossus," Link answered. "We've got to go talk to Nabooru in the Spirit Temple." He looked at Zelda. "Any shortcuts?"

Zelda pulled out the Ocarina of Time. "There is one. Everybody gather around."

They all gathered close to Zelda. She began to play another familiar tune. She played the Requiem of Spirit. Unfortunately, though, it didn't work.

"What happened?" Malon asked.

"Why didn't it work?" Link added.

Zelda examined the ocarina. "Meyson must have blocked the Spirit Temple off, too."

Link groaned. "Does this mean we have to walk?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, no, no. I've learned a few more songs in the last five years. Gather around, I'm about to play a new hit."

They all gathered close to Zelda again. She began to play a song Link had never heard before. Then they were surrounded by a white light. They were being transported.

  
Chapter 16  


Saria looked around everywhere, but she had no idea where she was. She was still being held in the crystal prison that Meyson created. The only thing she could make out was the gloomy atmosphere and the figures of Meyson and his three Lizalfos cohorts. She could see the giant Iron Knuckle, Titanos, standing dormant on the far side of the room. She wondered what would happen to her. She wasn't worried about the disease of the vastness. Because she was now a sage, she didn't have to worry about it anymore. No, she was thinking about what Meyson had in store for her. She didn't know what he would do to her. She began looking around her surroundings. It was almost as if they were in a grave.

"I hope you like what you see," Meyson said. "I spent a lot of work fixing up this grave."

Saria felt frightened. They really WERE in a grave. She could only assume this was Meyson's base of operations.

"What do you want with me?" Saria demanded.

Meyson laughed evilly. "What do I want from you? I can't tell you that just yet. It's a surprise." He looked at the three lizards. "You three, watch her. I'll be outside planning our next move. Can you three at least do THAT without fouling up?"

The tall one responded. "Yes we can, Meyson. Because we're…"

"STOP!" Meyson shouted. "Spare me the stupid motto! Just DO IT!"

Meyson left the grave and Saria was left alone with the three reptiles.

The tall one approached Saria. "Hey, boys. What do you think he's planning to do with her?"

"Isn't the better question, what's he planning to do TO her?" the short one asked.

"Don't ask me," the chunky one asked. "I would have just thrown her in the sea."

Saria was confused. "You mean you guys don't even know what's going to happen to me?"

The tall one laughed. "Meyson doesn't tell us what he's gonna do until he's about to do it."

"He doesn't like telling us his plans ahead of time," the short one continued.

"He says that we're too dumb to hear his plans so early," the chunky one finished.

"Well, doesn't that bother you guys?" Saria asked. "I always see Meyson hitting you or calling you names. Why do you put up with it…uh…?" Saria struggled. "What are your names?"

The tall one spoke first. "I'm Kreature."

"I'm Krash," the short one said.

"I'm Og. Howdy, howdy, howdy," the chunky one introduced himself.

"We are COMBAT!" they said in unison.

"Kreature, Krash, and Og," Saria repeated. "Why do you guys put up with Meyson? After everything he does to you guys?"

"Well, we've been around Meyson since he first emerged," Kreature said.

"We've been around Meyson since before he emerged," Krash corrected.

"Really?" Saria asked. "When was this?"

Kreature looked at Krash and Og. "Maybe I better be the one to tell the story."

  
Chapter 17  


Saria was intrigued. She was about to finally get some answers. She was finally about to hear where this 'Meyson' came from.

Kreature spoke. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Og interrupted. "Wasn't it more like five years ago?"

"Quiet, you! Who's telling this story?" Kreature chided. "Anyway, it was five years ago…"

* * *

It's been five years since Kreature and his two partners received word that Ganondorf had been defeated. It was a devastating blow, but Ganondorf had left the three Lizalfos an assignment. The Gerudo King asked them to watch a special shelled cube. But that day, Kreature was being driven to the brink of insanity by his partners, Krash and Og.

"Ok, ok. How about 'What time is it? COMBAT time!'," Krash suggested.

"No, no," Og said. "It's got to be something cool like, 'We're slimy. We're scaly. We're coming at you daily. We're COMBAT!'"

Kreature was irritated. "Are you two still trying to come up with a catchphrase? We already came up with the name COMBAT. Isn't that enough?"

"Come on, Kreature," Krash said. "Every icon has a catchphrase. We need something to take the world by storm."

"Hey, I got it!" Og shouted. "How about 'Heeeeeerrrrreeeeeeee's COMBAT!'"

"No, I think it's been done," Krash said. "What about 'We're lean. We're green. We're fighting machines. We're COMBAT',"

"You two are giving me a headache," Kreature said. "We've been stuck in here for five years and nothing's happened with this stupid shell and I don't need you two annoying me all day."

Kreature looked at the huge shell at the far side of the grave. This was what Ganondorf had asked them to guard? It looked like a useless shell.

"The only good thing about this shell is that it gives us a good light show every now and then," Kreature continued.

It was true. Anything that would touch the shell would activate something within the shell. It's as if the powers of whatever touched it were transferred into the shell. COMBAT enjoyed watching bugs and small animals land on the shell. Occasionally, a stray Deku Scrub would hit the shell and give the three reptiles a real light show. Kreature then noticed a spider begin to wander towards the shell.

"Hey, boys," Kreature called. "It looks like we got ourselves another victim."

"It's just a spider though," Krash said.

"Yeah, call me when a Deku Scrub comes by," Og added.

The spider landed on the shell and it was instantly zapped. But then the ground within the grave began to shake.

"H-Hey!" Krash yelled. "What's going on?"

"It's that shell," Og pointed. "It's going funky monkey!"

Kreature looked towards the shell. It was, in fact, reacting. Then it began to crack open.

"It looks that thing's finally opening!" Kreature shouted.

The shell cracked completely open. Then something emerged from it. It was a huge being covered in brown skin.

"This is what we've been guarding?" Kreature blurted out.

"What is it?" Krash asked.

The thing began laughing. "At last, I'm free from that that monstrosity! After all that time, I am finally ready."

"Uh, ready for what?" Og asked.

The thing laughed. "I have been imprinted with the images of my upcoming mission. My master, the great Ganondorf, created me. However, he was defeated. And that is why I am born."

"Why is that?" Krash asked.

"The great Ganondorf created me to be his trump card," he continued. "I am the final solution to the problem posed by the so-called Hero of Time and the seven sages. Had the great Ganondorf taken over the world, I would have been disposed of. But now it appears that I am needed."

"Needed for what?" Kreature asked.

He smiled. "My services are required. My purpose is to free the great Ganondorf from the prison in which he lies."

"You mean, you're getting Ganondorf out of the Sacred Realm? How do you plan on doing that?" Kreature asked.

The thing began laughing. "No one can stand a chance against me, for I hold powers beyond those of Ganondorf's other servants."

"And what powers might those be?" Krash asked.

To Kreature's amazement, the thing began to transform. It first transformed into Kreature. Then it shifted into Krash and then Og. He then began transforming into various Hylians. Finally, he transformed into Ganondorf before finally assuming his own form.

"How'd you do that?" Og asked in bewilderment.

"I naturally assume these powers," he answered. "I am a shape-shifter." He looked at the three Lizalfos.

Kreature grinned. "A shape-shifter. Ganondorf created a shape-shifter." 

"Well, what do we do right now, Mr. shape-shifter?" Krash asked.

"I have a plan to free the great Ganondorf from the Sacred Realm," the shape-shifter said. "Are you three rowdy reptiles ready?"

A light bulb lit in Kreature's head. "Hey that's it! We're rowdy."

"We're ready," Krash continued.

"We're reptiles," Og finished.

"We are COMBAT!" they said in unison.

"COMBAT?" the shape-shifter asked. "What's that supposed to be?"

"It a name for us as a group. It's me, Kreature."

"Me, Krash."

"And me, Og."

Kreature looked up at the shape-shifter. "But what do YOU call yourself?"

The shape-shifter began to grin evilly. "I am **MEYSON!!**"

  
Chapter 18  


"That's the most I can remember from that day," Kreature continued.

"We haven't left Meyson's side since that day," Og added.

Saria looked on with wide eyes. The origin of Meyson was finally revealed to her. He was planted in this grave by Ganondorf before he faced Link on that fateful day. And his purpose, the whole time, was to free Ganondorf. But that still didn't answer the question of why Meyson abducted Saria.

But she decided to ask different questions. "And have you guys been happy since Meyson emerged?"

It looked like Saria hit something in the lizards when she asked that question. They looked like they didn't know how to answer.

"H-Happy?" Kreature asked.

"Yeah, happy," Saria said.

"W-We're happy working for Meyson," Krash said.

"No one's treated us as good as Meyson," Og said.

"Has anybody ever been around to treat you any better?" Saria pointed out.

The three reptiles were taken off guard. It's as if they had never thought of that.

"Have you thought about what your lives might be like without Meyson?" the forest girl continued.

"Hey, I can see through this," Kreature said angrily.

"Yeah, you're trying to turn us against Meyson," Krash added.

"You're just trying to help yourself," Og agreed.

"No, guys. I'm not trying to help myself," Saria said. "I just want you to think about what you're lives are now…and what they could be."

The lizards grew silent again. Just then, Meyson entered the grave.

He wore an evil grin. "Get ready, boys. We're about to initiate the next phase of my plan."

  
Chapter 19  


Link recognized where he was. Zelda had transported them all to Gerudo Valley. It wasn't exactly the Desert Colossus, but it was close enough for Link.

He looked at Zelda, Malon, and Sodo. "Well, let's go."

Link couldn't get what happened at the Forest Temple off his mind. Saria had been abducted by the evil Meyson and he couldn't figure out why. If he were still looking for the Spiritual Stones, he would have made his move by now. There was another reason he took Saria, but he didn't know why. But Meyson was lying low. And until he made his move, then Link would get some assistance from Nabooru. If there were a way to beat that Titanos, then Nabooru would know.

Link looked at Malon. "Are you feeling any better?" Luckily, Link had some tape on hand and was able to tape up Malon's ribs.

"It still hurts a little, but I'm ok," Malon said. She began looking around the vast valley. "I've never around this part of Hyrule before."

"It sure is hot out here," Sodo added.

"I guess the weather hasn't changed," Link said.

They crossed the bridge that led to the Gerudo Fortress. If Link had his way, then they would be able to cross the Gerudo Fortress quickly before dawn. As they entered the fortress, thoughts began to cross Link's mind.

"I remember when I first came to this place," Link said. "The buildings are still here. The guards are still on patrol. Honestly, I don't think anything's changed."

"HALT!!!"

"DON'T MOVE!!!"

"PUT YOUR HANDS UP!!!"

Link and his party were soon surrounded by dozens of Gerudo warriors. They were all pointing spears at them. This was a scene that was all too familiar for Link. As they all held their hands up, Link had only one thing to say.

"Yep. Nothing's changed."

  


Comments? Review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	8. Meyson Returns: The more things change, ...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the second part of my epic fic and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (No, I don't believe I'll be using one) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be something special.

  
Chapter 20  


It was something Link hoped he wouldn't have to experience again. He and Sodo were thrown, literally, into a cell somewhere in the Gerudo Fortress. This was just like last time Link came. The guards had immediately stopped him and threw him in a cell. But what got Link worse was that they had taken Malon and Zelda somewhere else. Link looked everywhere for a way out.

"This is JUST GREAT!" Link shouted. "I can't believe we've been captured. This is just my luck!"

Link noticed that Sodo was casually leaning against a wall. He didn't seem to be too shaken by this.

"Come on, Link," Sodo said. "It's dark. It's too late to do anything now. Can't this wait until morning?"

Link continued searching for a way out. He couldn't even find a window.

"Link, you're starting to panic," Sodo said calmly. "Just like last time."

Link looked at the Kokiri boy curiously. "What do you mean 'like last time'?"

Sodo smiled. "You mean you forgot? I can't believe you forgot that day we were stuck together. I know I haven't forgotten…"

* * *

Sodo was sitting near the tunnel to the vastness. It was his usual post. As much as he wanted to do something else, Mido had ordered Sodo to watch the vastness everyday. Sodo could have sworn he lost track of how long he had been doing this. That's when he noticed that Mido began walking up to him. To Sodo's surprise he had young six-year old Link in tow.

"Hey, Mido," Sodo greeted the Kokiri 'boss'.

Mido glared at Sodo with his trademark 'evil eye'. "I know you've been looking forward to watching the bridge today. But I've got something else for you to do."

"What's that?" Sodo asked.

"I need you to watch this freak here for the rest of the day," Mido said referring to Link. "Keep him occupied."

Sodo was curious. Link was never just left alone like this. He was always seen with Saria. "What about Saria? Where is she?"

"Saria went out to the Sacred Forest Meadow," Mido answered. "She said something about wanting to be alone and she wanted me to watch the freak."

"Well, why don't you?" Sodo asked.

"I don't think I could put up with him the whole day," Mido responded. "I figure, being the boss of this village, it'd be easier to pawn him off on you."

"But what do you want me to do with him?"

"Take him sightseeing. Throw him in a hole for a few hours. Or take him to the Lost Woods. I don't care what you do with him," Mido answered. "If you REALLY have a problem with it, I suggest you take it up with Saria. In fact, I'll escort you to the Sacred Forest Meadow. You can talk to Saria there."

"Uh, gee thanks Mido," Sodo said. Then Sodo did something he wanted to do for a long time. He was actually walking away from the tunnel.

  
Chapter 21  


Sodo, Mido, and young Link were walking into the Sacred Forest Meadow. It was actually the first time Sodo had ever been there. But he knew it was Saria's favorite place to be alone. Suddenly, Mido stopped walking.

"Why'd we stop, Mido?" Sodo asked.

"We're almost there," Mido answered. "Just turn around really quick. You too, freak."

Sodo and Link turned around. Suddenly, they were pushed down by Mido and were now falling into a hidden grotto. Sodo had fallen on his face and managed to pull himself up in time to see Mido above the hole.

"Now you be sure to watch the freak in there, Sodo!" Mido shouted from above. "I'll come back for you later."

"Hey!" Sodo cried out. "What am I supposed to do in here?"

"Just watch him and make sure nothing happens to him." Mido wore a sarcastic grin. "You know how much it would pain me to see something happen to Link."

Mido walked off, leaving Sodo screaming. He couldn't believe that Mido used him as a pawn. He finally stopped after a while and looked over at Link. The young boy had been silent the whole trip, but he seemed to be shaking in fear as well.

"Well, you haven't said much today," Sodo said. "Not in the mood for talking?"

Young Link looked at him indignantly. "I just got pushed into a hole. And there might be wild creatures here ready to eat me. Do I look like I'm in the mood for talking?"

"I guess I can't argue with that," Sodo conceded.

Link kicked a rock. "I don't get it. Why couldn't Sissy just take me with her? Why did she leave with that mean old Mido?"

Sodo smiled. For some reason, Link loved to refer to Saria as 'Sissy'. Of course, Saria didn't enjoy it as much as Link did.

"Well, I guess she just wants to be by herself," Sodo tried answering.

"Why?" Link asked. "Doesn't she like me?"

"No, no, it's not that she doesn't like you but…" Sodo seemed stuck. "How do I put this? You'd know about this. Are there days when everybody just teases you, Link?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Or days when they even hurt you?"

"Y-Yeah."

Sodo was going somewhere with this. "And on those days, don't you ever just want to run out and be by yourself?"

"I-I guess so."

"Does it mean that you don't like Sa…uh…Sissy?"

"Of course not!"

"Then what are you worried about? Sissy's just doing the same thing. She wants to run out and be by herself."

Link tried to smile, but he didn't. "Yeah. You're right. There are days when I just want to be by myself. Because everyone hurts me and treats me like a freak. Guys like Mido, Dore, Dila, Sofa, Miso, always tease me." Link looked up at Sodo. "Actually, all the boys tease me…except you. Why?"

"It's just something they do, I guess..."

"No, silly," Link interrupted. "I mean why don't YOU tease me?"

Sodo wasn't expecting that question. He had been the subject of teasing himself for not helping to pester Link. It wasn't that he liked Link, he was a freak. It was true. There was something different about him. But there were reasons that Sodo didn't bother Link. One of those being that it simply wasn't the peaceful boy's nature. The other was because of Saria. Sodo had a crush on Saria and he wouldn't get in her good graces if he started tormenting Link.

"Well, I guess I'm not like the other boys," Sodo finally answered. "I'm just different. They like to tease you and call you names and…I don't."

"Sodo?" Link asked. "Do you think I'm a freak?"

Sodo didn't know how to react. He wanted to say no, but he would be lying if he did. He saw the sad look on Link's face and didn't know how he would answer. But the peaceful boy realized that the only ones there were himself and Link. Who else would find out?

"No…I don't think you're a freak," Sodo answered. "I just think you're…well…different."

Link began to hang his head down sadly.

"No, wait," Sodo quickly said. "Not different…you're special. That's it. You're special."

"You really mean that?" Link asked.

"Yeah. You're special, Link. Don't ever believe those guys when they call you a freak. You just remember that you're special."

Link smiled brightly. Sodo began to smile too. He really wished that Saria was there to hear his encouraging speech, she would have loved him for it. It might make it easier to confess his feelings. But then Sodo heard something growling. Link and Sodo both froze.

"W-W-W-What was that?" Link asked in utter fear.

"I don't know…" Sodo whispered. "It came from over there."

Sodo walked over to the shadows. He actually didn't know what was dwelling in this grotto. When he got to the dark part of the grotto, he was ambushed by a Mad Deku Scrub.

The Mad Deku Scrub began to pick away at Sodo. Link only looked on in fear.

"AAAHHH!!!" Sodo screamed. "GET IT OFF ME!!"

Link ran over to grab a rock. He then chucked it at the Mad Deku Scrub, but it was still attacking Sodo. Link continued to throw rocks at the Mad Deku Scrub, until it finally stopped its assault on Sodo…and looked at Link. The Mad Deku Scrub began to growl and slowly make its way to Link. Sodo wished he could do something, but he was badly beaten. He could imagine having to tell Saria that Link was killed under his watch, while Mido looked on with a wicked smile. That's when he heard someone from above the grotto. It was as if something were approaching.

Sodo looked up and saw a huge rock being pushed towards the hole. The rock fell into the grotto and literally crushed the Mad Deku Scrub. Link poked it with a stick and saw no movement. It was dead. The shock left Link silent.

"W-Who did that?" Sodo asked.

"I did!"

Sodo looked up above the grotto and saw the unmistakable head of Saria. She had somehow found them in the grotto. She lowered a rope.

"Grab on to the rope and start climbing!" Saria shouted.

Link climbed up while Sodo struggled to his feet. He was in no shape to climb. The Mad Deku Scrub had ravaged his tunic and he was left with a bad cut on his forehead. But Sodo managed to climb the rope. He was glad to be out of the grotto and immediately fell to one knee. He saw a look of concern on the face of Saria.

"Are you ok?" she asked warmly.

Sodo thought she was talking about him. That's why it hurt him emotionally when Saria ran past him and ran up to Link.

"Link, are you hurt?" Saria asked.

"I'm fine, Sissy," Link answered. "But I don't know about Sodo."

Saria had finally noticed Sodo. She ran over to the now fallen boy and kneeled over him. "Sodo, Sodo, speak to me! Say something!"

Sodo was too beaten to say anything. He was too tired to talk. He just decided it would better to just slip into unconsciousness.

* * *

  
Chapter 22  


Link saw a frown cross onto Sodo's face.

"You know something," Sodo said. "Now that I think of it, maybe it's better some memories STAY forgotten."

Link smiled. Sodo didn't exactly make the point he had in mind, but the story served its purpose. The impromptu story did take Link's mind off their predicament for a little while. And he noticed the sun begin to rise.

"Look at that," Sodo pointed out. "It's morning."

"Good. Then it's time for us to get out of here," Link said.

Link saw the opening above their cell. It would be easy enough to escape using his hookshot. But before he shot it, he heard Sodo begin to cough violently. He vomited some green liquid, before he took the red potion. After drinking the whole bottle, the coughing stopped.

"That's the risk I take," Sodo said.

Link aimed his hookshot at the opening. He grabbed on to Sodo. They managed to grab on to the roof and escape. Link looked down at the ground from the roof. He motioned for Sodo to jump down first. He skillfully jumped down and landed on his feet. Link tried jumping down, but tripped and landed on his back.

Sodo looked down at the fallen Link. "Jeez, Link. That looked like it hurt."

"Didn't hurt," Link groaned. "Trust me, I do it all the time."

Link got to his feet. He and Sodo quickly hid behind a couple of crates. The Gerudo guards were passing back and forth keeping watch for any intruders. When Link got an open opportunity, he clobbered each guard from behind with a huge rock. Link went on to knock out about six guards until he finally saw the entrance to the Thieves' Hideout. Link and Sodo were about to pass through when Link heard a familiar voice.

"We're just trying to pass by. I don't see what the problem is."

It was Malon. Link took Sodo and decided to rush in. When he got in, he saw Malon and Zelda sitting down on a table with two Gerudo thieves. It looked like they were having breakfast. Four more Gerudo guards ran in and pointed their spears at Link and Sodo, who promptly put up their hands.

Link couldn't believe it. He looked at Malon and Zelda indignantly. "Ok, so let me get this straight. We're out there rotting in the jail and getting spears pointed at us and you two are in here having BREAKFAST with these Gerudo? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that?!"

"They don't have any problem with me and Malon," Zelda answered. "They just threw you two in jail as a precaution."

"As a precaution?" Link repeated. "What do you mean 'a precaution'?"

One of the Gerudo thieves who were dining with Zelda and Malon answered. "We've had an incident an the Spirit Temple. As a precaution, all males are to be arrested on sight."

Link shook his head. This was sexist, but he would wait until AFTER they stopped pointing the spears at him to point that out. "What incident? What happened?"

"When I went to the Spirit Temple the other day, I was attacked." The other thief said.

"She was talking to a guard she had never seen before," Malon continued for her. "Then when she wasn't looking, she was struck from behind by a rock. She thinks it was by the three Lizalfos, COMBAT."

"What makes you think that?" Sodo asked.

"They shouted 'BONK ON THE HEAD' before they hit me," the thief said.

Link shook his head. "That's them all right. They aren't exactly the brightest foes I've ever faced. Anyway, is there anything I can do to get out of here? I really need to get on my way."

"Only those who are Gerudo or honorary Gerudo may pass," the first thief said.

Link was ready to kick himself. He did get an honorary membership card, but it was under his bed back at the ranch. "Can't you make an exception for me?"

"NO!" the second thief shouted. "Why should we trust you?"

Link looked at Zelda. "Haven't you introduced yourself yet, PRINCESS?"

Zelda looked sternly at Link. "For your information, I DID introduce myself. But they're suspicious of anybody right now. They don't want to risk the life of Nabooru."

"You don't have to worry about me," Link assured the guards. "Nabooru and I are friends."

"We don't know that!" the first thief shouted. "We've never seen you around before."

Link tried desperately to think of something. "Come on, you guys remember me. You gave me that Gerudo Membership Card."

"Oh, yeah?" the second thief asked. "Then where is it?"

"I…don't have it with me, right now," Link confessed. "It's under my bed."

Malon then pulled something out. "Under your bed? You mean this?" Much to Link's surprise, she had pulled out his Gerudo Membership Card.

"Yes!" Link said relieved. "That's my membership card!" He turned his head to Malon curiously. "Why do you have my card?"

Malon smiled smugly. "I had to clean that mess under your bed. And I didn't want to misplace anything, so I put the card in my pocket."

The two Gerudo thieves grabbed the membership card and began to investigate it. They looked at Link and back at the card.

"Hmm, I guess your ok," the first thief finally said. "Girls, lay down your arms."

The Gerudo warriors finally put down their spears and Link and Sodo were finally able to put their hands down.

"Thank you," Link said in relief. "Can we please go now? We've got to get going."

"Of course," the first thief. "We offer our deepest apologies. We just tend not to trust males. Men are such scum."

Link couldn't help but feel a bit insulted. These Gerudo were all about 'girl power' and basically spit on the male gender.

The first thief approached Malon and Zelda. "Ladies, we enjoyed your company very much. I hope we'll be able to trade stories again soon."

"We enjoyed being here," Zelda said.

"Yeah, thanks for your hospitality," Malon added. "If you're ever in Lon Lon Ranch, be sure to stop by. We'd love to have you as a guest."

Link shook his head. He shuddered at the thought of having these Gerudo stay in his home.

"Can we go now?!" Link asked impatiently.

"I hate men with no patience!" the second thief said. She turned towards Malon and Zelda. "But he's right, girls. You need to be on your way. If you want to see the exalted Nabooru, then it must be important."

Malon and Zelda waved farewell to their new 'friends'. Link knew they weren't HIS friends, nor would he want them to be. The Gerudo patrolling the exit to the Haunted Wasteland opened the gate. They all walked into the Haunted Wasteland, ready to blaze through sandstorms.

  
Conclusion  


They had managed to survive the heat in the Haunted Wasteland. And now Link, Zelda, Malon, and Sodo were in the Desert Colossus. The first thing Link noticed about it was, obviously, it was hot. As he walked towards the enormous Spirit Temple and noticed that Sodo soon began coughing again. The disease of the vastness refused to let up and Link sincerely hoped that they wouldn't run out of red potion. Then Link stopped in front of the huge Spirit Temple. He had nearly forgotten how big it really was.

"Wow," Sodo marveled. "It sure is a lot…bigger than the Forest Temple."

"I didn't think that the temples came this big," Malon added.

"It is pretty big," Link agreed. "But I know exactly where to find Nabooru."

They all walked into the Spirit Temple. They walked up and stopped in the center of the room in front of a rising platform. When they stepped onto the platform, they were taken to the second floor of the temple. They walked up to a door and opened it to reveal a large stone statue. It had to be several stories tall. Having never seen anything like this, Malon, Zelda, and Sodo began to talk about how amazing it is to be able to fit such a huge statue in this temple. Link had something else in mind. He shot his hookshot up towards a huge chained platform in front of the statue's face. He shot himself up and then brought up the others.

"If this is the same Nabooru I know, then she'll be in there," Link said.

"In where?" Malon asked.

"In there." Link pointed at the door within the statue's face. They each jumped to the door and walked in. When they walked into the next room, it brought back memories for Link. He remembered fighting an Iron Knuckle in that room. But it wasn't really an Iron Knuckle, it was actually Nabooru. She was under the spell of the witches, Twinrova. Link knew that she would be in the next room. They walked in and there was Nabooru, all right. But she was down on the ground. It looked like she had just regained consciousness, but she was tied up.

Link ran over to her and untied her. "Nabooru, are you ok?"

Nabooru scowled. "I feel like I've been hit by a stampede. Do I look like I'm ok?!"

Link knew the answer, but he asked anyway. "Who did this to you?"

"It was that evil fiend who called himself 'Meyson'," the Gerudo leader answered. "He came in and knocked me out, but not before leaving with a huge Iron Knuckle."

Link frowned. "That's…sort of what we need to talk about. Nabooru was that the Iron Knuckle I thought it was? Was it the Iron Knuckle of legend?"

"It sure was," Nabooru answered. "It's the Iron Knuckle, Titanos. Meyson came in, did some magic, and walked away with it."

"But how can that be?" Zelda asked. "I thought Titanos was just a legend."

"It IS just a legend," the Spirit Sage responded. "I should know. I'm the one who made it up."

Link was dumbfounded. "YOU made up the legend of Titanos?"

"Yeah, it was me," Nabooru began. "When I began coming into this room I noticed a huge statue of an Iron Knuckle on the far side of the room. With dozens of Gerudo coming in and out of the temple, they began to ask about it. So I thought I would make up a legend about a giant Iron Knuckle called Titanos."

Sodo looked confused. "I've never heard the legend of Titanos. What is it?"

Nabooru braced herself to explain the whole thing. "The legend goes that there was once a giant Iron Knuckle called Titanos. He would serve Ganondorf during the Imprisonment War and would be put in charge of all the lesser Iron Knuckles. As the personal Iron Knuckle of Ganondorf, he would be given more power and stronger armor than the average Iron Knuckle. He was also the most skilled fighter among the other metal beasts. Anyway, one day Ganondorf was defeated by the Hero of Time."

Link stood cocky. "Now THAT is no legend."

"Shut up!" Nabooru shouted. "I'm not finished!"

"Sorry," Link said sheepishly.

"Anyway, the Hero of Time beat Ganondorf and sent him to the Sacred Realm," Nabooru continued. "The other Iron Knuckles were each exterminated. The only one who remained was Titanos. Once he figured out that there would no one to carry out Ganondorf's evil will, he went back to the Spirit Temple. He stood alone at the far end of this very room and legend has it he was turned into stone until someone evil came back to terrorize Hyrule."

"That's some story," Malon said.

Nabooru smiled. "Isn't it though. I can't believe I came up with it myself."

"Then that means the story of Titanos isn't true?" Zelda asked.

"Of course not," Nabooru said. "When I told that legend, I was lying through my teeth."

Link stood confused. "Then how is it I was attacked by a colossal Iron Knuckle, called Titanos, who hit like a ton of bricks?"

"There's only one possible answer I can have for that," Nabooru admitted. "I'll bet Meyson KNEW the legend wasn't true. But possessing magic of that magnitude, Meyson probably decided to MAKE it true. He used his powers to bring the legend to life."

Link cringed. If Meyson had the power to bring life to an inanimate statue, what else was he capable of?

Zelda took a step forward. "Nabooru, do you have any idea how we can stop Titanos?"

Nabooru pondered. "I don't think I ever came up with a way to stop him. Next time, I'd better not think of an unbeatable legend. There's only one solution I can think of. To stop the legend, you must defeat the one that released the legend. You have to beat Meyson."

"But we don't even know where Meyson is," Malon said. "What do we do now?"

Link didn't know either. He could only make one suggestion. "I guess we go back to Hyrule Castle and think of something there."

"Great," Nabooru said. "When do we leave?"

Link's anger began to rise again. "Excuse me? Who said anything about 'we'?"

"You can't suggest you're leaving without me, are you?" Nabooru asked. "I have a feeling you might just need me."

"Wait a minute," Link said quickly. "I thought sages couldn't leave their temples."

"Boy, do you even know why that rule's there in the first place?" Nabooru argued. "Sages can't leave their temple, because then the Sacred Realm might be in danger of tampering. The seal on Ganondorf would be in danger of being broken. But don't you think, by now, that someone's already trying to tamper with the Sacred Realm? And isn't the seal already in danger of being broken?"

"Well…uh…"

"Look, if you want to fight Meyson, those three lizards, and Titanos by yourself, by all means go ahead," Nabooru said. "But you don't know what else Meyson could have in store. And I seriously doubt that even the Hero of Time could withstand a huge assault by a sudden emergence of the Meyson army. I'm the best chance you have. Especially since I don't think you'll be getting much help from a sissy princess, a dumb farm girl, and a shrimpy Kokiri."

Link's party seemingly took offense to those words.

"Sissy princess?!"

"Dumb farm girl?!"

"Shrimpy Kokiri?!"

"Well, no offense," Nabooru smiled at them. She must have tried to apologize in her unique way. "You'll need a warrior on your side, Link. Whether you want to admit it or not, I'm the best chance you have. Now what do you say?"

Link figured that there was no use arguing. He never won these arguments. He might as well give in now. "Fine, you can come."

Nabooru smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way. Then we leave immediately."

Link couldn't believe it. His party had now increased to five. As they all left the Spirit Temple together, he could only wonder what would happen next. What was Meyson planning? What did he want with Saria? And could Link stop him in time, before he released Ganondorf?

  


Author's Note: I've enjoyed writing this story so much, but it is almost over. The final parts of Meyson's plan are about to come together. Can Link stop him? The third and final installment of this trilogy is coming.

  


Comments? Then you should review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	9. The Final Chapters: Ambush at the Shadow...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the third and final part of my epic trilogy and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel we may be approaching the end of something special.

  
Chapter 1  


When Saria was taken out of the grave, she recognized exactly where she was. She was at the graveyard in Kakariko. She only wished that Link knew where she was. Saria had been abducted by the evil shape-shifter, Meyson, and taken from her home in the Forest Temple. The fiend was assisted by his three Lizalfos cohorts, COMBAT, and his Iron Knuckle, Titanos. She was being held in a giant crystal with no way out. And she had no idea what Meyson planned to do with her.

Saria was taken to what appeared to be the Royal Family's tomb. Meyson stopped and looked at his three reptilian sidekicks.

"Kreature, hand me the rope," Meyson commanded.

Kreature, the tall Lizalfos, reached for his rope and handed it to Meyson. "Here you go, Meyson."

Meyson grabbed the rope and tossed it up towards what appeared to be a huge gate above the Royal Family's tomb. The Lizalfos and the enormous Iron Knuckle began climbing the rope. Meyson mentally moved the crystal holding Saria up over the gate. Finally, the sinister shape-shifter floated over the gate. Saria looked around and recognized where she was. This was the Shadow Temple, home of Impa, the Sage of Shadow.

"H-Hey, Meyson," Kreature stuttered. "This place gives me the creeps."

"Yeah, it's real spooky," Krash, the short one, continued.

"Where are we?" Og, the chunky lizard, asked.

"You three are even more ignorant than I thought," Meyson said angrily. "We're at the Shadow Temple. This is where I will execute the next phase of my plan."

"Well, how do we get in?" Kreature asked. Saria looked forward and could see that a colossal door blocked the entrance to the temple.

Meyson grinned evilly. "We just invite ourselves in. Titanos!"

The huge Iron Knuckle, Titanos, stepped forward. "Yes, master."

Meyson pointed at the door. "Titanos, destroy that door. Make an opening for us."

Titanos walked up to the door and began swinging away with his huge axe. As much as he tried, it didn't seem as if the Iron Knuckle wasn't even making a dent in the large door.

Og walked up to a circle of torches near the door. He walked up to the only lit torch. "It's dark in here. Maybe I better light these torches." The chunky lizard lit a Deku stick and lit the other torches. The ground around the door began to shake. Titanos ceased his assault and stepped back as the gargantuan door began to open.

Meyson looked at Og. "Excellent, Og. Maybe you aren't as stupid as I think you are."

Og smiled. "Do you really mean that, Meyson?"

Meyson sneered. "No! Now get in there!"

The lizards and the Iron Knuckle walked in. Meyson followed with a helpless Saria in tow.

  
Chapter 2  


Saria immediately noticed a huge pit near the entrance of the Shadow Temple. She hoped it would convince Meyson to turn around, but she was dreaming if she thought that would happen. Meyson mentally floated COMBAT, Titanos, and Saria over the pit and they continued walking. They stopped when they reached a room with a large bird block in the center.

"You three morons stay here with the Forest Sage," Meyson ordered. "I shall take Titanos to find the Shadow Sage and come back for you." He grabbed the three lizards by the scalp. "I'm warning you three! If she gets away, I will make you PAY DEARLY!!" Meyson dropped the reptiles. He and Titanos walked through a door and left them alone with Saria.

Saria almost felt sorry for the lizards. "There it is again."

"What do you mean?" Kreature asked.

"There what is again?" Krash added.

"Exactly what I said before," Saria answered. "Meyson's putting you down, abusing you, and threatening you. Don't you guys get tired of it?"

"Oh, no. Not this again," Kreature said.

"You're trying to turn us against Meyson again," Krash accused.

"Yeah! We told you, whatever you're selling, we aren't buying it," Og said firmly.

"I'm just looking out for you guys," Saria said. "And I know you don't have to take this."

"Take what?" Kreature asked.

"Yeah, we're doing just fine," Krash added.

"Come on, guys," Saria pleaded. "Don't think I'm not concerned about this, because I am."

Kreature laughed. "You? Concerned about us?"

Krash was laughing too. "We aren't stupid. Who are you trying to fool?"

"Yeah. Why would you be concerned about us?" Og asked. "No one's ever been concerned about us in our lives."

"Well, let me put it this way," Saria began. "What did you guys do before Ganondorf asked you to guard that cubed shell? What were your lives like before you served Meyson?"

The Lizalfos began thinking. Saria wouldn't be surprised if they had completely forgotten life before Meyson.

"Well, we were just trying to survive out there," Kreature said. "It's tough being a lizard in Hyrule."

"You'd be surprised how much the Hylians hated us, just because we were lizards," Krash added. "We were just trying to live our lives like any other lizard."

"Every time they saw us, they started running away," Og said sadly. "I can't understand why. It's not our fault we were born to be reptiles. We just wanted to live normal lives."

Saria began to feel pity for these three lizards. For Saria, this started out as a plan to cause a rift between Meyson and his cohorts. But now she actually felt sorry for these three reptiles. She didn't realize that they actually tried living normal lives. It sounded a lot like the prejudice the Hylians had against the Kokiri. It didn't sound fair that they were condemned just because of what they were. Just because of what they were born to be.

"After years of rejection by the Hylians, we finally heard of a huge Lizalfos brigade," Kreature continued.

"They had a huge training camp calling all lizards rejected by Hylian society into action," Krash added. "Lizards would come from around Hyrule to learn fighting skills. They would train to serve Ganondorf's army. Ganondorf said that any lizard who served in this brigade would get their opportunity to exact revenge on the Hylians who rejected them and hunted them down."

"We trained there for a couple of years," Og continued. "We had what we wished we had a few years before that. We were finally able to fight and fend for ourselves. We became fighting lizards. And we wanted our revenge against the Hylians."

"But that's when Ganondorf came up to us personally," Kreature said. "He told us that he had an assignment for us. He took us to an empty grave that only had a cubed shell and he told us to watch it until further notice."

"And by further notice, he meant until he, himself, called us back or until the shell cracked open," Krash added. "And when that happened, we started serving Meyson. And we haven't looked back."

Saria felt sorry for COMBAT and all they had gone through. "I guess I can't blame you guys for being angry at the Hylians. There was a time when I couldn't trust Hylians, either. I once left my home in the forest to try and find Link. When I got to Hyrule Castle, I began to succumb to the disease of the vastness. I had lost my memory while I was there and I lived for five years with a Hylian family in Kakariko Village. When I got my memory back, I felt angry. My life during those five years was a lie. Then the Hylians tried to force my people to move to Kakariko and that's when I stopped trusting Hylians altogether. But between then and now, I realized something. Yeah, there are some really rotten Hylians out there. But there are many more good Hylians than there are bad ones. I saw that when I reflected back on my Hylian family. They had taken in a complete stranger and cared for her…loved her. And I'm convinced that there are many more good people like my Hylian family out there. You just have to look and not expect everyone to be bad."

Kreature looked at Saria suspiciously. "Just what are you trying to say here, short stack?"

"Yeah," Krash added. "What's your point?"

"I've been around you guys for a few days now," Saria said. "And…I'm starting to think that you guys aren't really evil. I think you guys are just misunderstood and confused. I don't think you guys are bad at all."

"What are you talking about?" Kreature demanded.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Krash added.

"I mean think about what you guys are doing," Saria pleaded. "You guys aren't bad, but Meyson is. You can't really help him free Ganondorf. If he comes back, then he'll destroy everything. Then picture your lives. You'll be living in a wasteland, without freedom, and as slaves of Ganondorf. Do you really want that to happen?"

Krash looked at Saria coldly. "Frankly, it makes no difference to us. Our lives have stunk since day one. And Meyson's been the only one around for us. We'd do anything for him."

Saria looked at the Lizalfos sadly. "Well, do you think he'd do anything for you?"

The three reptiles stood silent. Suddenly, Meyson and Titanos walked in.

"I found her," Meyson declared. "Let's go have a chat with the Shadow Sage."

  
Chapter 3  


Link and his party had settled down for the night in a remote part of Hyrule Field. He didn't know what to do next. His party had now expanded to five. He was now joined by Malon, Princess Zelda, Sodo, and Nabooru. They had all gone to sleep, but Link couldn't sleep that night. He sat on a nearby rock and began to ponder his situation. Meyson was holding his childhood friend, Saria, captive and he didn't know where. And he still didn't know how Meyson would go about trying to free Ganondorf. Just as he was thinking these things, Malon walked over to him. Link guessed that she couldn't sleep either.

"Are you all right, Link?" she asked him.

"No," Link confessed. "Malon, I'm worried about Saria. She could be anywhere. I don't know what Meyson could possibly want with her. He doesn't want the Spiritual Stones. I can feel that, because if he did, he would have gone after Darunia or Ruto again. He wants something else, but I can't figure out what."

Malon sighed. "Link, I'd like nothing better than to say that everything's going to be ok. I'd like nothing better than to say that Saria will be just fine. But…I honestly don't know how she's doing. I don't know if she's hurt or not."

"That's what's scares me," a small voice said. Link and Malon turned around to see the young peaceful boy, Sodo. He was obviously distraught.

"And you know what kills me more?" Sodo continued. "I love her. And she may never know it. I've had every chance to tell her...but I didn't. Now it might be too late."

Link pitied the poor boy. He must have been torn apart. Link began to feel horrible for trying to keep him in the Forest Temple.

"That is so sad," Malon said compassionately. "Sodo, I'm so sorry."

"But she's not dead though," Sodo said firmly. "I can feel it. She's alive. And I can only hope she stays that way until we find her."

Sodo seemed to be sure of his words and that made Link feel a bit better.

"Doesn't anybody ever sleep around here?" another voice said. Link turned around to see that Nabooru had woken up. She walked over to Sodo. "Trust me, boy. I've known Saria for a while now and she can be very resilient. I'm sure she's just fine. But what I'm worried about is what might happen if Meyson releases Ganondorf. If he gets out, then we'll all be in trouble."

"And that's why I want to find Meyson," Link agreed. "But where would he go?"

"I don't know where he'd go," another voice said. It was Princess Zelda. "But I know that we have to prepare for that possibility. When we get back to the castle, I need to immediately call the Hylian army into action."

"Well, as long as we're all awake, we might as well continue towards the castle," Link said.

They all nodded and began to pick up their things. Link wished more than anything for a lead as to Meyson's whereabouts. But it didn't look like he'd get one that night.

  
Chapter 4  


Impa could sense that something was wrong. She sensed that an evil had made its presence felt. She felt this for many weeks and began to worry. When Impa became the Sage of Shadow, she knew that she could no longer watch over Princess Zelda. While security around Hyrule Castle had been beefed up, she knew that they couldn't equal the security Zelda had while Impa was around. It's hard to find a defense equal to that of what a Sheikah can offer.

Suddenly, Impa heard something. She was on a ferryboat that had been restored after it sank during the Imprisonment War. The boat didn't float on much; it only floated on air. Impa began to look around. She couldn't see anyone, then something grabbed her shoulder. The Sheikah instinctively turned around in a fighting stance, but she only saw a familiar figure. It was Princess Zelda.

"Princess?" Impa asked in near shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I sense that there's something wrong," Zelda answered. "And I believe you have sensed the same thing."

"Yes, I have," Impa agreed. "I haven't had many contacts to Hyrule, but there are many spirits that come by this temple. They tell me of a new evil that's been around. He's a shape-shifter who calls himself 'Meyson'."

"Really?" Zelda asked intrigued. "What else do you know?"

"He has an evil plan to release Ganondorf from the Sacred Realm," Impa continued. "But I know that the time for that has not yet come."

"How do you know that?" Zelda asked curiously.

Impa smiled mischievously. "Like I said, I have some contacts here. And they've not only told that the time hasn't come…but they tell me that the real Princess Zelda is in Hyrule Field with the Hero of Time…and you're not her."

The fake Zelda looked shocked. Before she could react, Impa reached out for an assassin's knife and struck. She got a piece of the fake Zelda's arm and Impa's suspicions were confirmed. The fake began to bleed black. Then the fake Zelda's eyes began to glow red. It then transformed into a tall being with brown skin.

Impa was ready to fight this thing. But that's when something struck her in the back of the head, knocking her out.

  
Chapter 5  


Saria was amazed. She thought that Impa would fall for Meyson's evil disguise, like everyone else. But somehow, she managed to see through it. It didn't matter though, because she couldn't see that Titanos was standing behind her. Impa was chained up in a room that Saria was told was the evil lair of Bongo Bongo. Meyson waited patiently for her to recover from the crippling blow.

"Congratulations, Shadow Sage," Meyson told the now revived Impa. "I'm impressed that you're the first to see through my flawless disguise. But alas, it wasn't enough." He looked at Titanos. "You couldn't see my servant, Titanos, standing behind you. Good work, Titanos."

"Thank you master," the Iron Knuckle bowed.

Saria noticed that Impa saw her for the first time.

"What do you want, fiend?" Impa demanded. "And why are you holding young Saria hostage?"

Meyson laughed evilly. "My reason's for holding the Forest Sage are none of your concern. But I am here for a reason. You see, the time is nearly upon us. It is almost time to free the great Ganondorf, but first I need…an army."

"An army?" Impa asked. "What do you mean?"

Meyson grinned. "What better place to create an army of evil, than in the Shadow Temple, the domain of evil spirits and beasts? I shall create my army here and take it with me to Hyrule Castle. Once there, they will stand by while I prepare to release the great Ganondorf. And once I do, they will all move in and take over. They will destroy anything and everything in their paths. And Hyrule will fall to my master!" Meyson walked over to the end of the room and faced the wall. He pulled out a crystal necklace and placed it around his neck.

"Hey, Meyson?" Kreature asked. "What's the necklace thingy for?"

"This is the Crystal of Darkness. It is simply to keep the essences of all my new minions," Meyson answered. "With it, I can store my new army and unleash them at my leisure. And best of all, they cannot be destroyed unless the crystal itself is shattered." He looked at COMBAT and the captive Saria. "Step back, fools! I don't want to take the chance of the Forest Sage accidentally getting struck."

COMBAT dragged Saria's crystal back far from Meyson. The shape-shifter soon began chanting in a dialect that wasn't familiar to Saria. Soon, though, the spell began to take effect. Appearing out of thin air were dozens of ReDead, Gibdo, Floormasters, and Stalfos knights. They all lined up in vast lines of twenty, totaling up about thirty rows. Saria had never seen such an enormous army of evil. And they were all there to serve Meyson.

Meyson stood up. "Excellent! With an army of this magnitude, Hyrule will fall. Return, my minions of destruction!" Meyson held out his Crystal of Darkness and the entire army vanished. The crystal glowed with the essences of the monsters.

Impa looked on in shock. So did Saria. If Meyson unleashed this army on Link, he couldn't possibly survive. Or worse, if he unleashed it on Hyrule, then many innocent people could be killed.

"It is almost time boys," Meyson called out. "It is time we regroup, before heading out to the castle." Meyson then walked up to Impa. "And since you were the first one to see through my disguise, then I feel I owe you a special reward."

Meyson held out his arm and thrust a huge ball of energy at Impa. She was knocked out. The evil shape-shifter then walked up to Saria.

"And as for you," Meyson continued. "It is almost time for you to learn of your purpose in my master plan."

Meyson waved his arm and they were surrounded by a black light. Saria remembered this. They were being transported out of the Shadow Temple.

  
Chapter 6  


"Are you sure you're going to sleep this time?"

Link nodded. He couldn't blame Malon for thinking this would be another sleepless night, with all that's happened. They stopped in the middle of Hyrule Field and were about halfway to the castle before night had fallen. But Link was tired. He wouldn't be able to go on without a night's sleep.

"Trust me," Link said. "We could all use some rest. And frankly, I don't think sleep would do you bad, either."

"What do you mean by that?" Malon asked, almost insulted.

"I don't mean your beauty sleep," Link said comfortingly. "You're already beautiful the way you are. But what I mean is, you need rest. Your ribs haven't exactly healed, you know."

"I know that," Malon admitted. "But it's not that bad. I'm not in too much pain." As if on cue, Malon tried lying down and began to wince in pain. "Ok, maybe it does hurt a little."

"See?" Link smiled.

"Just go to sleep," Malon shot back. "I'll be fine. Good night."

Link laid back and closed his eyes. It looked like this would be the only rest he would get in the next few days.

* * *

Link looked around. And he recognized where he was. The gloomy atmosphere, the darkness, and the spooky environment, he could only be in one place. It was the Shadow Temple. Link then recognized what he was standing on. It was a huge drum. It was the evil lair of Bongo Bongo, the shadow beast.

Link looked to the far side of the room and saw Impa, the Sage of Shadow. He looked to another direction and saw the three Lizalfos, COMBAT, standing by Saria, still being held captive in her giant crystal prison. Then he looked to another way and saw the being that plagued him. It was Meyson and he was chanting in a dialect that Link was not familiar with. Suddenly, Meyson turned around and stared directly at Link.

Link realized he had been spotted and unleashed his sword. He was ready for a fight. But he soon found himself surrounded. There were hundreds of evil creatures surrounding him. Creatures that included ReDead, Gibdo, Floormasters, and Stalfos knights. They circled around him, ready to pick Link apart. Then a side of the circle parted, making way for Meyson to make his way through. He looked at Link and smiled evilly.

"The war is almost lost for you, Hero of Time," Meyson began. "You cannot stop all of us. And my master, the great Ganondorf, will soon lead us all to victory!"

As soon as Meyson said that, the monsters moved in on Link. They kept moving in until everything went black.

* * *

Link woke up in a cold sweat. He was frustrated that he obviously wasn't going to get his night's sleep that night, but he did realize something. He had his lead. Meyson was at the Shadow Temple. But something else disturbed him. Link hadn't seen that many monsters since the days of Ganondorf. Had Meyson released his own army of evil? And would he use them against Link? Or would he use them against Hyrule? While Link sat up to think about these questions, he saw Malon wake up as well. Link must have made a lot of noise during that nightmare and it probably woke her up.

"Link? What happened?" Malon asked.

"I had another nightmare," Link said.

Suddenly, Link heard Zelda cry out. She had just woken up from what appeared to be a nightmare of her own. If Link knew the princess, though, it was probably the same nightmare he just had. Sodo and Nabooru had now woken up as well.

"Can't a girl get some sleep around here?" Nabooru said, obviously irritated.

"Zelda, what happened?" Sodo asked. "Are you ok?"

"No," the princess answered. "Meyson's at the Shadow Temple. I've got to get there right away. I've got to help Impa!"

  


Comments? Then feel free to review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	10. The Final Chapters: Fallout of the Shado...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the third and final part of my epic trilogy and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel we may be approaching the end of something special.

  
Chapter 7  


Link almost had his things ready. He had tied the horses outside, because they would be there a while. After having another nightmare Link knew exactly where Meyson was. The problem was that Meyson was probably already there, and he might have left by now. No one had said anything to Zelda all morning. She was obviously distraught over the possibility of what might have happened. Link was surprised that moment. He had actually found something about Princess Zelda that he could actually relate to.

Yes, Link was panicked when Meyson had chosen to invade the Forest Temple. He didn't want anything to happen to his friend, Saria. He grew up with her. She was her only friend back in the forest. Now Zelda was going through the same thing. Zelda had grown up with Impa. Impa was her nanny and Zelda loved her. Being a princess, Zelda obviously didn't have many friends and Impa may have been the only one she had. Link couldn't blame Zelda for being upset. Link knew that much like he didn't want anything to happen to Saria, Zelda wished the same for Impa.

"Well, I'm ready," Nabooru called out.

"Me too," Sodo added.

"I'm ready to go," Malon added as well.

Link walked over to the three while Zelda pulled out the Ocarina of Time.

"Good. We haven't a moment to spare," Zelda said. "Stand close, everyone. We're about to leave. I just pray that it hasn't been blocked off."

Zelda began to play a familiar tune on the ocarina. She began playing the Nocturne of Shadow. As the song ended, they were surrounded by a white light. It had worked. They were being transported to the Kakariko graveyard.

  
Chapter 8  


When they got to the area in front of the Shadow Temple door, Link immediately noticed how dark it was. Then he noticed that a colossal door blocked the entrance to the temple.

Nabooru walked up to the door. "I think it's locked."

"How are we supposed to get in?" Malon asked.

"The same way I got in last time," Link answered. He began to dig around his bag and found a red crystal. It was Din's Fire. "Everybody stand back!" Link's party each began to step back and take cover. Link unleashed the power of Din's Fire and the torches were all lit. The ground around the door began to shake as it began to open. As soon as it opened, Zelda immediately ran in.

"IMPA!" Zelda shouted. "Where are you!"

Sodo looked concerned. "Shouldn't we go after her, Link? What if we lose her?"

Link stood calmly. "It's ok, Sodo. I don't think she'll get far."

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

That got Link panicked. He knew that Zelda would find one of the pits. But he expected her to stop in front of it, not fall into one. Link ran in and the rest of party followed closely behind. When Link got to the pit, he saw Zelda was hanging on for dear life.

"I see you found the pit," Link grinned.

"Shut up! This is serious!" Zelda yelled. "Get me out of here!"

Link casually grabbed the arms of the princess and pulled her up. Zelda got to her feet and smacked Link in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Link asked, holding his head.

"You could have warned me about that pit!" Zelda shouted. "I almost killed myself!"

"It's ok, princess. I'm sorry," Link apologized. "But if it make's you feel any better, I know where Impa is. And I know a shortcut."

"Well, where is she?" Zelda asked.

Link began walking. "This way. And watch your step. This place is booby trapped."

Link led everyone through a series of doors, real and fake. As he continued walking, he noticed that something began to creak. Everyone stood silent.

"W-W-What was that?" Malon asked fearfully.

Link looked above. He saw that a giant block of spikes was hanging above Malon. And he also noticed that she was stepping back, unknowingly, towards a floor switch.

"MALON, NO!!!"

Malon couldn't respond in time. She had stepped on the switch and the spikes began falling. In the blink of an eye, Link rushed towards Malon and tackled her out of harm's way just as the spiked block crashed onto the ground.

Malon had nearly turned white with fear. She was almost killed and she couldn't even see it coming. "You weren't kidding when you said this place was booby trapped."

Link dusted himself off and got to his feet. "Maybe it'd be better if we stood closer together," he said uneasily.

The five grouped together and continued on their way. When they finally entered a room with two doors, Link smiled. He walked over to the door on the right and walked in, motioning for everyone else to follow him. Link's party just looked around questioningly. There was nothing in the room. It was just a dead end.

"What's in here?" Nabooru asked. "It's just an empty room."

"You aren't lost, are you Link?" Malon said, with an irritated tone.

"How many times do I have to tell you people to trust me?" Link asked. "I know exactly what I'm doing." As if on cue, Link walked towards the end of the room and fell in a false floor screaming.

The rest of Link's party rushed towards the spot Link had fallen.

Sodo stuck his head in the false floor. "Well, how about that? A floor that's not really a floor."

Nabooru reached down through the floor and grabbed what appeared to be chained ladder. "I guess we can climb down with this."

Link saw everyone begin to climb down. When they climbed down, Malon rushed to his side.

"Link? Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm…fine. It's just my spine," Link said. "I'll be ok." Link got to his feet and pointed towards a huge ferryboat. "There. That's where we go next."

They all walked over to the ferryboat. They stopped and waited for anything to happen, but the boat stood idly floating in the air.

"Well? How do we get this thing moving?" Nabooru asked.

Link pointed down towards the Triforce symbol. "This is the crest of the Royal Family." He nodded at Zelda. "I think we both know what needs to be done here?"

Zelda pulled out the Ocarina of Time. "Indeed we do." She began to play Zelda's Lullaby, which got the boat's bells ringing.

The boat began to float over towards another part of the temple. As it moved, Sodo began to cough violently. He rushed over to the edge of the boat and vomited over the edge.

"What's with him?" Nabooru asked curiously. "Is he seasick? Or in this case, airsick?"

Sodo grabbed a bottle of red potion and drank until the bottle was empty. "No, just the disease. But I'm fine now."

The boat finally reached its destination. Then it began to shake.

"Everybody JUMP!" Link shouted. All five of them jumped off the ship as it sank into the darkness below. "I always hated that part." Link pointed towards a door on the far side. "She's in there. Let's go."

They made their way into the door. The five each jumped a series of platforms until they reached another door. When Link opened this door, he saw a huge pit in the center. He jumped in, followed by the rest of his party. When Link landed, he saw that Impa was chained up and unconscious.

  
Chapter 9  


Link looked on at the chained Sheikah. Zelda nearly lost it right there.

"Impa, NO!" Zelda shouted. She ran up to her old nanny and started shaking her. "Impa, please wake up! Please!" Impa regained consciousness and Zelda embraced her.

"Princess," Impa said in surprise. "You're here. I wasn't expecting you to be here. I thought you were in Hyrule Field."

Link stood astonished. How did she know that? Before he could ask, Nabooru answered her question.

"Still got those contacts, do you Impa? They're a lot more reliable than the Gerudo, that's for sure."

"I realize that, Nabooru," Impa smiled. "Imagine my surprise when I heard that you had joined the Hero of Time. And imagine my utter shock when I found out that it was YOU who made up the legend of Titanos."

Nabooru shook her head. "I'm starting to regret ever thinking that up."

"I assume Meyson's been here, then?" Link pointed out.

"Indeed he has," Impa said, now loose of the chains. "He came to the temple disguised as Princess Zelda, but I saw right through his charade. But as soon as I was about to make my move, I was nailed by that brutish Iron Knuckle."

"What did he want?" Zelda asked.

"He came here with a crystal necklace," Impa responded. "He put it around his neck and began chanting somewhere in this room. When he was done, he had army of hundreds released. Hundreds of ReDead, Gibdo, Floormasters, and Stalfos knights were all out and ready to do his bidding."

"A crystal necklace?" Malon asked.

"Yes, but it wasn't an ordinary crystal," Impa said. "He used the crystal to store the army he had created. I'm guessing it's the source of their power."

Link knew what question he wanted to ask next. "Impa, did he have Saria with him?"

"Yes, he did have young Saria with him," the Sheikah answered.

Sodo was wide-eyed. "Was she ok? Was she hurt?"

"She was fine, as far as I could see," Impa said. "I asked him what he wanted with her and he didn't answer me. It's anybody's guess what he could have in store for her."

"Did he tell you where he was going next?" Link asked.

"He only said that he was going back to regroup," Impa answered.

"Translation: He's getting ready for the big fight," Nabooru clarified. "Being a thief, I know those words well. He's getting ready to put his final plan into action."

"Yes, time is short," Impa conceded. "But night has fallen. I think you five should get some sleep and go back to the castle. Meyson may be getting ready for an assault."

Link agreed. Sleep sounded good. "Ok, where do we sleep?"

Impa smiled. "Come this way. I'll lead to the door."

  
Chapter 10  


Saria was back in the grave. But she was being held in the corner of the grave, being guarded by the Lizalfos, COMBAT. Meyson stood in front of his army of hundreds of ReDead, Gibdo, Floormasters, and Stalfos knights.

Meyson prepared to address them all. "My followers, our time of glory is almost at hand. After everything we have struggled for, our ultimate goal will finally be reached. We are about to complete the one objective left to me by my master, the great Ganondorf. And that objective is to free him from the prison in which he lies!"

The monsters cheered. Saria and the Lizalfos only looked on.

"We will free him from the prison he was thrown in by scum like this," Meyson said pointing at Saria. "Everyone who helped imprison him: This Kokiri, the Princess of Hyrule, and especially the Hero of Time will all be crushed at my master's hand. And he will do what he originally set out to do. Ganondorf shall rule the world!"

The monsters again raised an arm, or in the case of the Floormasters, a fist, and cheered.

"Tomorrow, is the day of glory," Meyson continued. "You will all stand outside the drawbridge. You will stand by there, with Titanos as your commander. Meanwhile, I and my reptilian cohorts will infiltrate Hyrule Castle Town and make our way towards the Temple of Time. There, we shall release the great Ganondorf. Once he is released, you will all make your move. You will all invade Hyrule Castle Town, destroying anything that stands in your way. Once you have made your way through the town, you will infiltrate Hyrule Castle, itself, and destroy it. Thereby, marking the beginning of a new era for Hyrule. An era in which Hyrule will live under the rule of the great Ganondorf once more!"

The monsters cheered. Saria looked next to her and saw that the Lizalfos were just standing by silent.

"You guys aren't really going to help him, are you?" Saria pleaded.

"So what if we do?" Kreature asked.

"Yeah," Krash added. "We'd only be giving the Hylians exactly what they've given us for years."

"But guys, two wrongs don't make a right," Saria said sadly. "Don't you guys want to do the right thing?"

"We've never done the right thing before," Kreature said coldly.

"So why should we start now?" Krash added.

"We're screw-ups. Meyson tells us we can't do anything right," Og said.

"Please guys…" Saria began.

"Sorry, shrimp," Kreature said. "But we've made our choice and we're standing by it."

"Besides," Og said. "Don't think we aren't getting anything out of this. Meyson's rewarding us handsomely for our part."

Saria hung her head down. It seemed hopeless. She only wished she could find a way to convince them that they didn't have to do this. She wished she could convince them to do the right thing.

Meyson held out his crystal and called back his army. He then walked up to his three reptilian cohorts. "Are you ready for the final phase of my plan, boys?"

They all shouted affirmatively.

"Good," Meyson smiled evilly. "Then go wait for me outside." The three lizards walked out of the grave. Meyson then looked at Saria. "Well, the time for you to serve your purpose is almost here."

Saria had an idea. If she got the answers she was looking for, then she might have something. "And what are you going to do once you get Ganondorf out?"

Meyson laughed evilly. "It seems we haven't been paying attention. Once the great Ganondorf is released, he will take his revenge on those who imprisoned him. He will destroy Hyrule Castle and create a new castle for himself. And he will rule Hyrule with me at his side."

Saria almost had the answers she needed. "With you? And what about COMBAT? Your loyal lizards? What happens to them?"

"Those idiots?" Meyson chuckled. "They've done a lot of stupid things. But the stupidest thing they've ever done was to believe any promise I've ever told them. Those three wastes of oxygen will be disposed of."

There was one more thing Saria had to know. "And what about me? I still don't know why you've taken me."

Meyson grinned. "I do believe you're right. I think it finally IS time I told you the purpose you are to serve."

  
Chapter 11  


Link was ready to turn in for the night. But he still felt frustrated. He had learned a lot more about Meyson and his purpose in the Shadow Temple but it still wasn't enough for him. After all this, Link still didn't know why Meyson was holding Saria prisoner. That ate him up inside. He could have anything in store for him.

Link also felt nervous. It was true. The time was coming. It was almost time for Meyson to initiate his plan to release Ganondorf and Link still had no idea how he would go about doing that. Meyson didn't have the three Spiritual Stones or the Ocarina of Time. How could he possibly get Ganondorf out? Link also felt nervous about the huge army Meyson had created. There were hundreds of monsters out there. But would they be used against him, or against the people of Hyrule? Link didn't want to think about it.

Just then, Malon walked up to Link. "Are you ok?"

"I'm just thinking," Link answered. "Just thinking about what we're going to do next."

"Any ideas?" she asked.

"Not a clue," Link responded. "I guess we go back to the castle and warn the Hylian army, but from there I have no idea what to do. I…just don't know."

"I think there's only one thing we can do," Malon said. "We can only wait."

"I guess," Link conceded. "I guess I'll just try and sleep now."

Malon put her arm around Link. "Link, don't worry. We'll find her. You heard Impa. Saria's fine."

"I guess," Link said. "Thanks, Malon. Good night."

Malon walked off to sleep. Link decided to turn in as well.

* * *

Link looked around. It was a vast place that Link didn't recognize. But he soon figured out that he was in Hyrule Field. He then turned around to see the drawbridge leading to Hyrule Castle.

"It has ended!"

Link turned around again. This time, he saw Meyson. And he was surrounded by his army of hundreds of monsters. Meyson began to transform, and he transformed into Saria.

"You couldn't see what he wanted me for, until it was too late. Some hero you are!"

Meyson changed his form into Nabooru.

"And now it's over. You lost!"

Then Meyson changed into Princess Zelda.

"Hyrule is doomed. It will never be the same again!"

And then Meyson shifted into the form of Ganondorf.

"Because I am back in Hyrule now, Hero of Time. And this time, I'm here to stay!"

Meyson changed back into his original form. Link was seething. Frustration was getting the better of him.

"Well, WHAT DID YOU WANT WITH SARIA?!" Link shouted. "WHY DID YOU TAKE HER? WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO DO WITH THIS?"

Meyson only laughed evilly. "That's your problem, Link. You can't see that the Forest Sage was the key to my plan the whole time. You couldn't see the purpose she served in releasing my master. You didn't see it…UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE!!!"

Darkness began to overtake the sky. Lightning shot down from the sky. And out of the drawbridge emerged Ganondorf.

"The end is here! You are too late! Now I RULE THE WORLD!" Ganondorf laughed evilly and shot a ball of energy that completely overtook Link.

Link fell. It was the last thing he saw before fading to black.

* * *

Link woke up in a cold sweat. He was ready to scream. This was quickly becoming a tired part of his routine.

He couldn't believe what he saw. He was extremely frustrated. Was he supposed to know what Saria was being used for? Was the answer in front of his face and he hadn't seen it? Link could only make out one thing about the latest nightmare. Time was short.

Link looked over to see Princess Zelda. She was still asleep. Apparently, she wasn't seeing the same thing Link saw. Whatever nightmare Link had, he alone had it. It wasn't a nightmare he shared with Princess Zelda.

Link got up and decided to walk outside. The torches were still lit and going on strong. He walked over to the end of the gate and looked out towards the graveyard. He began to ponder his situation. He didn't know what was going to happen next. And he didn't know where Meyson would go next. He could only assume that his next target had something to do with the area outside of Hyrule Castle. And it had something to do with Saria. She was a pawn in all this. Link desperately wished for a clue. He wished for some kind of lead.

That's when a ray of light shot down next to Link. He jumped out of the way as the ray of light landed on the ground near Link. Link saw a circle of light on the ground. He didn't know what to make of it. It looked familiar though. It was a lot like the circles of light that Link would see at the end of his journeys through each temple.

"Link," a voice called from the light. "Step into the light."

Link looked on confused. He had no idea what to make of this.

"Come on, Link," the voice called. "Step into the light. It's urgent."

Link still stood frozen. He couldn't understand what was going on.

"Link, step into the light," the voice called again. "The future of Hyrule depends on it. Step into the light. If not for me, then do it for Hyrule. Do it for your friends. Do it for Saria. Do it for Malon."

Link didn't know how this voice knew Saria or Malon. But he made sense. The lives of his friends and everyone in Hyrule were on the line. He had no other idea what else to do. Link stepped into the light and was being transported.

Link felt like he had to be in the light for a good number of minutes, but finally Link reached his destination. He looked around to see where he was. He saw six platforms that looked exactly like the medallions held by each of the sages. Link knew exactly where he was now. He was in the Chamber of Sages.

"It is good that you are finally here, Hero of Time," the same voice called.

Link looked around again. He finally found the voice. He walked in and stepped on one of the medallion platforms. Link recognized who it was. It was Rauru, the Sage of Light.

"I'm glad I've finally been able to contact you," the old Light Sage said. "Because there isn't much time left."

  


Comments? Then review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	11. The Final Chapters: Back in the Sacred R...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the third and final part of my epic trilogy and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (No, I don't believe I'll be using one) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel we may be approaching the end of something special.

  
Chapter 12  


Link didn't know what to expect when he stepped into the circle of light. The voice calling out had left the Hero of Time puzzled. But when he stepped in, it all made sense. The light led Link to the Chamber of Sages. And the first, and only, person Link saw in there was Rauru, the Sage of Light. Link wasn't really that fond of Rauru. He respected him for what he was, the Light Sage. But the first time Link met him, the old Light Sage left him with more questions than answers.

* * *

Link woke up. He almost felt refreshed. He hadn't slept like that in a long time. Often, his nights in the forest would be plagued by nightmares. But he finally had a refreshing rest for the first time since Princess Zelda sent him on that quest for the Spiritual Stones…Link suddenly realized something. He looked around to see where he was. He had never seen this place before. And an addition to that, Link could hardly remember anything that happened to him before he fell asleep.

Link only remembers seeing Princess Zelda and her caretaker, Impa, flee Hyrule Castle from Ganondorf. Link tried to stand up to the Gerudo King, but was easily cast aside by a ball of energy. Then Link went into the moat to retrieve something the princess had thrown in there. He pulled up the Ocarina of Time. He then heard a telepathic message from Zelda, where she taught him the Song of Time. Link decided to take the ocarina and go into the Temple of Time. He opened the Door of Time and walked in. The last thing Link remembered seeing was Ganondorf walking into the Door of Time.

"It is good to see you have woken up, Link," someone said.

Link looked around to see where the voice came from. He looked to see six medallion platforms. Standing on one of them was an elderly Hylian.

"It is good to see that you have woken up, Hero of Time."

Link was shocked at what the old man just said. "W-What do you mean Hero of Time?" Link stood silent. It sounded like his voice changed.

"Surprised?" the old man asked. "Your voice has changed, hasn't it? It's because you have grown up. Link, look at yourself."

For the first time since waking up, Link took a good look at himself. He had grown tall, like the Hylians he had seen in Hyrule. Somehow, his clothes managed to still fit him. But Link was astonished.

"W-What happened to me?" Link asked fearfully. "Why do I look like this?"

"You have grown up," the elder Hylian answered. "When you came into the Sacred Realm, you were put to sleep until you grew up."

For Link, this only explained why he felt so refreshed. He had been asleep for a while. "How long have I been in here?"

"You have been kept in here for seven years."

_'This can't be,'_ Link thought. "And what about 'here'? Where is 'here'? Where am I? And who are you?"

"You are in the Chamber of Sages and I am Rauru, the Sage of Light," he answered. "And you are Link, the Hero of Time."

"I don't get it," Link said. "What are you talking about? What do you mean 'Hero of Time'?"

"You are the one who is destined to defeat Ganondorf, the King of Evil," Rauru responded.

Link became even more confused. "King of evil? I thought he was just the king of the thieves. I thought he was just some ambitious jerk trying to take over."

"Ganondorf is more than the king of thieves now," Rauru stated. "When you opened the Door of Time and claimed the Master Sword, Ganondorf followed you in. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm and attempted to take the Triforce. But the Triforce can not be held by one who holds evil intentions. When he grabbed it, it changed him. The triforce split into three pieces and Ganondorf went from the king of thieves to the King of Evil."

Link was still confused. "And I'm supposed to stop this guy? All I was trying to do was get three stones for Princess Zelda. I thought that's all there was to it."

"Unfortunately, the princess didn't know that it wouldn't be that easy," Rauru said. "And now, Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule."

Link couldn't understand any of this. "He's taken over? Wait a minute! I don't understand. How did that happen? Where's the princess? Where's Ganondorf? What year is this? Are all my friends ok? ANSWER ME!!!"

"It is time for you to go complete your quest," Rauru said. He handed Link a medallion. "Take this medallion and good luck on your quest."

"But wait! Where am I supposed to go?" Link asked.

"Good luck, Link, Hero of Time," Rauru said, ignoring his question.

A white light surrounded link. He was being transported away from the temple, as confused as anyone could be.

* * *

Link hoped it wouldn't be like last time. He hoped Rauru had some answers for him this time.

"It is good to see you here, Hero of Time," Rauru said.

"Rauru, why am I here?" Link asked. "Why did you call me?"

"I cannot tell you that just yet," Rauru answered. "We must wait for everyone else to arrive."

"Everyone else?" Link asked.

Just as Link said that, another ray of light began to shine down next to him.

"I believe that is them," Rauru said.

Link looked over at the ray of light. Out of the light, stepped out Malon, Zelda, Sodo, and Nabooru.

  
Chapter 13  


Link saw the confused expressions on the faces of Malon and Sodo. Of course, Zelda and Nabooru knew exactly where they were. But Link still didn't know why Rauru had called them all here.

"It is good to see you all here," Rauru greeted everyone. "Some of you may know me, others of you do not. For those who do not, I am Rauru, the Sage of Light."

"It's good to see you again, old boy," Nabooru smiled. "It's been a long time."

"But I sense this isn't a social call," Zelda pointed out. "Why are we here?"

Rauru took a deep breath. "I am aware of the situation with Meyson. I am aware that he has brought to life hundreds of monsters to serve in his army. And I am aware that by the end of this day, Meyson will put his ultimate plan into action. Meyson will attempt to free Ganondorf tonight."

Link stood silent, but he felt relieved. He finally had a clue on Meyson's next whereabouts.

"And Link, I am aware that you have had another nightmare," Rauru added. "But it is less a nightmare than it is a vision of the future."

Link was now shocked. He had no idea how Rauru knew about his nightmare. But he thought about what else he said. It wasn't a nightmare, but a vision.

"A vision of the future?" Malon asked. "What did Link see?"

"I'll answer that," Link began. "I had a nightmare that I was standing outside of Hyrule Castle. Meyson was out with his army and he was saying something about how he had already won. He said something about how Ganondorf was now free and I had lost. Then Ganondorf came out and knocked me out. And he was ready to take over."

"It is true," Rauru said. "That is exactly what the future will hold as it stands now. However, the future is always in motion. The opportunity is always there for the future to change."

"The future can change?" Sodo asked.

"Yes it can," Rauru answered. "The opportunity is always there for one individual or many individuals to change the future." He looked at Link. "Isn't that right, Link?"

Link was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean think of all the supposed nightmares you've had," Rauru responded. "The visions you've had of the Kokiri village being destroyed were visions of the past. And the visions you've had about Saria's attempted suicide were visions of the future. But you, Link, were able to change the future. You were able to do something about it. This latest vision you've had, is no different. It is a vision of the future."

Something clicked in the mind of Link. It all made sense to him now. Link's nightmares all made sense to him now. They were visions. That's why some of them came true and why others came true in different ways. They were visions, some of which could be changed.

"There is a way for you to change the future, Link," Rauru continued. "You must figure out what made that vision what it was. Why did Meyson succeed in your dream?"

Link thought about it. Then Link remembered. "He said it was because I didn't figure out why he had taken Saria. He said I couldn't figure out that she a vital part of his plan." Link stepped forward and looked at the elderly Light Sage. "Rauru, do you know why Meyson took Saria?"

Rauru thought about his answer. "Link, you are well aware that Meyson is ready to release Ganondorf, am I right?"

Link hated when this happened. He could never just get a straight answer when he needed it. "Yes. You said tonight."

"And you know that Meyson cannot release him because he does not have the three Spiritual Stones or the Ocarina of Time, correct?"

Link couldn't see where Rauru was going with this. "Of course he can't. He never got the Spiritual Stones back. I'm still holding them from when I defeated him in the Forest Temple the first time."

"Think about it, Link," Rauru said. "Do you believe that is the only way to access the Sacred Realm?"

Link did think about it. "You mean it isn't?"

"Let me put it to you this way," Rauru began. "There are only three ways to access the Sacred Realm. The first way is to collect the Spiritual Stones of Forest, Fire, and Water. Then take the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time in front of the Door of Time and take the Master Sword off of its pedestal. The second way is if I, the Sage of Light, create portals of light to the Sacred Realm."

"Just like the ones that brought us here," Zelda pointed out.

"Exactly," Rauru confirmed. "And the third way to access the Sacred Realm is to have one of the other five sages open the Door of Time manually using the power given to them."

Link thought about. Then finally, it hit him. He had finally found the answer he was looking for. And it was a grim one indeed.

"Link?" Malon asked him. "What's wrong?"

"I got it," Link answered. "I know why he took Saria."

Sodo was high-strung at Link's announcement. "Why Link? Why did that creep take Saria? What does he want with her?"

"Meyson's not planning to use the Spiritual Stones," Link began. "He wants to use Saria to open the Door of Time. He's planning on using her power to open the door and release Ganondorf."

Nabooru looked curious. "Why use Saria? He had his chance to take me or any of the other sages. Why use her?"

"It's because she's a Kokiri," Sodo said disheartened. "He thinks we're just kids, frail in stature. He said it himself. He believes Kokiri are weak. And he doesn't think Saria will put up a fight."

"Unfortunately, I do believe the young boy is right," Rauru conceded. "Because of young Saria's stature, Meyson believes he can force her to do his will. And he may be able to do just that. That is why time is of the essence."

Another thought hit Link. "And what if she refuses?"

Rauru's face took a somber tone. "Then I shudder to think what might happen to her."

Link stood tall. He knew what he had to do now. "Thank you, Rauru. It's starting to make sense to me now. But now, we have to go prepare for Meyson's attack."

Rauru nodded. "I shall contact the other sages. I will have them call their respective armies into action. As far as I know, Darunia's army is standing by in the Fire Temple, for they yet to go back to Goron City. Ruto can summon one of her messengers to call the Zora army into action. But how can I call the Gerudo army?"

"You'd better use this," Nabooru said. She handed Rauru a note. "It's a message to the Gerudo thieves. It'll have them rushing towards Hyrule, but they might not get there in time."

Rauru shook his head. A reality must have struck the old Light Sage. "Realistically, none of the armies may get there in time. I can only hope that the Hylian army can defend against the attack of Meyson's monsters."

"Then I have to go contact them now," Zelda said. "Rauru, please take us to Hyrule Castle."

"It shall be done, Princess Zelda." Rauru opened a portal of light that Link assumed led to Hyrule Castle. "Good luck."

They all waved farewell to the Sage of Light and stepped into the circle of light. Link was getting anxious. He finally had all the answers he needed. The final battle was looming.

  
Chapter 14  


Link and the rest of his party stepped out of the circle of light. They were at Hyrule Castle. Link knew that much. As soon as they stepped out, Sodo began coughing again, but managed to take another bottle of red potions. Link began to wonder how many bottles he had taken. Knowing they were intended for Malon while they were in the forest, Link loaded dozens of bottles out of temporary insanity.

Zelda stepped out towards the castle where she was met by a castle guard.

"Greetings, Princess Zelda," the guard said. "Welcome back. You've been gone for over a week. We began to worry about you."

"Don't worry about me," Zelda told the guard. "Just call the leaders of the Hylian army. We're having a meeting immediately."

Zelda looked at Link and the rest of the party. "Let's go."

Link smiled. "Wait a minute. You're actually letting me INSIDE the castle? That's something new."

"And it'll be the last time, if you don't **MOVE!**" Zelda shouted.

Link and everyone moved nervously towards the castle. It was time to plan a defense against Meyson and his evil army.

  
  


This was the first time Link was ever actually inside the castle, much less the throne room. The rest of his party looked around in amazement as well. Zelda sat down waiting patiently for all the Hylian army leaders to show up. Finally it appeared as if they had all shown up.

Sodo leaned over towards Link. "It's so quiet in here. It's nothing like the meetings back home."

"Well, the Hylians here are different," Link said. "They don't have the minds of children or attitudes of children. They just ACT childish sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Nabooru smiled. "You haven't been around many Hylians, have you?"

Zelda stood up. She was about to address the leaders. "I assume we're all here."

One of the leaders stood up. "We're all here, Princess Zelda. What have you called this meeting for?"

Zelda took a deep breath. "I won't lie to you. We have all gathered here today because Hyrule is in grave danger. There is a threat out there. He is a tall shape-shifter with brown skin called Meyson. Some of you are already familiar with him. He has already demonstrated what he is capable of when he used his powers to free the three lizard fugitives, COMBAT. However, the threat of Meyson alone is not why I've called this meeting. I have called this meeting because Meyson's power has vastly increased since he has first plagued Hyrule with his presence. He has now summoned his own army of evil. Meyson's army includes hundreds of ReDead zombies, Gibdo mummies, Floormaster hands, and Stalfos knights. We have already recruited the Hero of Time, Link. But even he cannot withstand an assault of this magnitude. Link will try to take down Meyson himself. And while he does that, we need you all to stand together and fight against his threat."

The leaders began murmuring amongst themselves. Then they grew silent.

"None of you may remember this," Zelda continued. "Because I intended it that way. But there was once a time when Hyrule lived in despair. Hyrule Castle Town was in ruins. Hyrule Castle itself was destroyed. Monsters roamed freely in Hyrule. People lived in fear. This all happened under the rule of an evil Gerudo King named Ganondorf. Ganondorf was defeated by Link, the Hero of Time, and was sent to the Sacred Realm for all eternity. And when he was gone, peace was restored to Hyrule. Well, now that peace is in danger. Meyson has come to release Ganondorf so that he may rule again. And he will use his hundreds of evil warriors to destroy everything in sight. And what I ask you all for here today, is for help. We need your help. I'm going to come right out here and say that our efforts cannot be successful without the service and full cooperation of the Hylian army. It is far too late to call in the Goron army, the Zora army, or the Gerudo army, for the attack takes place tonight. It is up to the Hylian army. So I ask you all, will you help us?"

One of the leaders stood up. "I believe I speak for all of us, princess, when I say that we refuse to let Hyrule fall without a fight. Yes, we will help you!"

The rest of the room erupted in cheers.

"Thank you all for your help," Zelda said. "But in a situation such as this, I feel that I need to make a few appointments."

Another leader stood up. "What kind of appointments?"

"You will all remain in charge of your respective brigades," Zelda answered. "But I feel that I need to place someone in charge of this defense in general. For that, I appoint Nabooru."

Nabooru was clearly shocked at the announcement. "Me? You want me in charge?"

Zelda smiled. "Of course, Nabooru. You said yourself that your skills as a warrior might come in handy."

"Well," Nabooru blushed. "I guess I did say that."

"But you won't be alone," Zelda continued. "You will be joined by someone else. That someone else will be Malon."

Link couldn't believe what she just said. He was shocked. He looked over at Malon and saw that she wasn't in shock at all. It was almost as if she expected it. Malon stood up.

"Thank you, princess," the farm girl said.

Link stood up. "Malon, can I see you over here? In private?"

Link walked Malon over to a remote corner. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe she accepted this without consulting him.

"Malon, you can't do this. It's too dangerous."

"Link, I know what I'm getting into," Malon shot back. "I discussed this with Zelda and she agreed to let me do this."

"Agreed?!" Link said in disbelief. "You mean this was your idea? How can you even think about this without consulting me?!"

"I don't see what the problem is."

"Malon you're still hurt," Link said pointing at Malon's ribs. "This is way too dangerous. I can't let you do this."

"Link, please," Malon pleaded. "Don't argue with me on this. I know I'll be fine. I'll have Nabooru at my side and she'll protect me. I know I have to do my part to help and I don't think my part is with you. I think I should be out there helping Nabooru to lead the army against Meyson's army."

There was no use. Link never won these arguments. He could only make one plea. "Isn't there any way I can change your mind?"

"I'm afraid not," Malon said. "It's something I have to do. All I can ask is that you trust me."

Malon left to go sit back down. Link couldn't believe it. He could hardly stand it, because he wouldn't be able to watch over Malon when the final battle came. That ate him up inside.

Zelda finally continued. "Link and I will move into the Temple of Time, for that will be Meyson's target. When he gets there, we'll be waiting."

Another leader stood up. "Princess, are you sure you want to do that? You could be hurt."

"I am very much aware of the risks involved," Zelda answered. "But I know that I have to do what I can to protect my kingdom."

The leaders sat silent.

"And on that note," Zelda concluded. "It is time for you all to go out and gather the armies. Prepare them, because the time is nearly upon us. But I leave you with these words. If Meyson believes that we'll just bow down without a fight, then he's got another thing coming. If he wants Hyrule, he'll have to take us down first!"

The leaders all cheered. Link sat anxiously. Zelda was right. The time has almost come.

  
Chapter 15  


Saria was frightened. She finally found out why Meyson wanted her. He was expecting her to open the Door of Time so that he could free Ganondorf. If she had anything to say about it, she wouldn't do it. But the way it looked, it didn't seem like she had much choice.

Saria looked around and began to recognize where she was. It was a place that she hadn't seen since she went out to look for Link all those years ago. It brought back bad memories. She was in front of the enormous Hyrule Castle.

Meyson looked at the young Forest Sage. "Well, Forest Sage, the time for you to serve your purpose is almost here. Are you ready?"

Saria looked at Meyson angrily. "NO! There's nothing you can do to make me open that door!"

Meyson chuckled. "We'll see about that, soon enough." He took out his Crystal of Darkness. Then his army began to emerge one by one until they were all out. "Get ready! The time is here! You will all stand by and prepare to attack the castle on my word. Titanos!"

The huge Iron Knuckle stepped forward. "Yes master."

"Titanos, you shall stay here and lead my army to victory," Meyson said. "On my word, you attack."

Saria quickly turned towards the entrance to the castle. She heard voices. Then hundreds of Hylians began walking towards the drawbridge. It looked like the entire Hylian army was coming out.

Meyson grinned evilly. "On second thought. Get ready boys. It's SHOWTIME!"

  


Author's Note: The end is near! There is only one part of the story left and it may be kind of long. But this isn't the type of thing I want to post on a school night (Man, I hate being back in school already). Come back this Friday. The final battle will take place between Link and Meyson!

  


Comments? Review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


	12. The Final Chapters: Final battle in the ...

  


Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is the third and final part of my epic trilogy and I hope you all enjoy it. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (No, I don't believe I'll be using one) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel we may be approaching the end of something special.

  
Chapter 16  


Link was nervous. He was making that final walk. As he led the Hylian army out to Hyrule Field, he could that Meyson's army was already there. He could see the anxiety on the faces of his friends: Malon, Zelda, Sodo, and Nabooru. As he reached the drawbridge, he could see his ultimate target. Standing there, was the evil Meyson and beside him was Saria, still being held captive. When he crossed the drawbridge and stepped into the field, he stopped the army.

Meyson stepped forward. "Well, Hero of Time, I can see that you've brought some backup this time."

"I guess I can say the same for you," Link shot back.

Meyson chuckled. "I don't need these monsters to defeat someone as weak as you. They are only here for the 'victory party', if you will. They are here to celebrate the impending release of the great Ganondorf by destroying Hyrule."

"That's not going to happen!" Zelda shouted. "We're not going to let that happen!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice," Meyson said. "It is destined to happen. And I will soon fulfill that destiny." Meyson looked out to the army. "But first, I will dispose of all these foolish Hylians. Monsters, ATTACK!!"

As the monsters began their charge, Nabooru and Malon led the Hylian army into the fray. Link ignored everything else. In his eyes, all he could see was Meyson. He unleashed his sword and prepared to charge.

* * *

It was a sight unlike anything Saria had ever seen. The evil monsters of Meyson were now trading blows with the army of Hyrule. She had no idea how many casualties there would be before it was all over.

She saw Meyson gather his three Lizalfos, collectively known as COMBAT.

"This is it, boys," Meyson began. "The moment we've worked for is finally at hand. Are you ready?" Kreature began to open his mouth. "And answer me without that stupid motto."

"We're ready," COMBAT answered.

Meyson grinned. "Good. Then we're going to the Temple of Time."

Meyson waved his arm. That black light was beginning to surround them again. As it surrounded them, Saria started thinking. She thought about what would happen to her when she refused to open the door.

* * *

Link started rushing the evil Meyson, but then the shape-shifter began waving his arm. Then in a black light, he was gone and so was Saria. Link was ready to stomp the ground in frustration, but the situation wasn't too bad. He knew exactly where Meyson would be headed. He would be going to the Temple of Time. Link walked over to Zelda. She had a grim expression. Link thought it was out of anxiety for what was about to happen.

"Are you ready?" Link asked.

"Link, we have a problem," Zelda said.

"Problem? What's the problem?" Link asked, irritated.

"Sodo's gone," Zelda answered. "He was here a few seconds ago, but when I turned around right now, he was gone."

Link became distressed at that announcement. "He disappeared right now?"

Zelda nodded. "He just disappeared right now."

Link knew what this meant. "I know where he is."

It looked like Zelda might have known as well. "Link, you don't think…? He couldn't have…?"

"He did," Link responded. "He went to the Temple of Time. He's going to try and Saria himself."

  
Chapter 17  


Saria had never actually been inside the Temple of Time before. But she wished she wasn't in there right now, not under these circumstances. Meyson walked over to the Door of Time. He brought Saria's crystal over to it and called his three reptilian assistants.

"You three hold her," Meyson ordered. He waved his arm and Saria was finally released from the crystal prison. But as she fell out, she was immediately grabbed by the three lizards.

Meyson grinned. "This is your big moment, Saria. It's time. Now open that door!"

Saria shook her head. "Never! You can't make me!"

Meyson's evil smile faded. "I said open that door!"

"NO!"

"You'd better open that door," Meyson ordered. "If you don't, then I will not only kill you, but I will kill all of your little friends."

"It's won't work that way, Meyson," Saria shot back. "When Ganondorf gets out, he'll probably kill all my friends anyway. And if you kill me, what then? Then you'll never get that door open!"

Meyson didn't say anything. He just grabbed Saria by the arm and began to glow. The next feeling Saria had was one of excruciating pain. It was as if a thousand volts of electricity had been sent through her entire body.

"Open that door!" Meyson demanded. "Or all your friends will suffer like you just did!"

It was painful. It was something Saria hoped to never feel again. But she had to resist. "NO!"

Meyson was about to reach for her arm again, but the doors just opened.

"SARIA?!"

Saria turned her head. The voice sounded familair. She thought she was hallucinating as a result of the tremendous pain she was just in. But she wasn't. It was really him, but it couldn't be. Standing at the door was Sodo.

"Sodo?!" Saria shouted. "I'm over here!"

Sodo began running towards Saria, but Meyson's eyes began to glow red. Sodo froze in his tracks. Meyson walked over to the catatonic Kokiri and grabbed his arm. He sent the same electricity through his body as he sent through Saria. The young boy's cry of pain made Saria cringe.

"OPEN THAT DOOR!" Meyson shouted. "Or he DIES IN AGONY!!!"

Kreature leaned towards Saria. "I'd just open that door," he whispered. "I don't think he's bluffing."

Saria got a look at the evil eyes of Meyson. He wasn't bluffing, she could clearly see that. She looked at Sodo. He was in terrible pain. Saria's heart sank. She didn't want to do it. But she didn't have a choice. She couldn't live with herself if she witnessed one of her friends murdered coldly.

"Ok," Saria said. "I'll do it. Just let him go!"

"Open that door first!" Meyson ordered. "THEN I'll let him go!"

The reptiles let go of Saria and she walked up to the huge Door of Time. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She focused harder than she ever had before. Soon the Door of Time began rumble. Saria opened her eyes and was amazed to see that the Door of Time had opened.

**"MEYSON!!!"**

Saria turned to see that someone else had entered the Temple of Time.

It was Princess Zelda…and Link.

  
Chapter 18  


Link looked around the Temple of Time. He found Sodo and, just as he feared, was in the grasp of Meyson. He looked towards the Door of Time and saw that Saria was finally released. And he also saw that the Door of Time was now open.

"Let him go, Meyson!" Link shouted.

Meyson threw Sodo to one side. Link saw Saria rush to the young boy's side.

"You're too late, Hero of Time!" Meyson exclaimed. "The Door of Time is now open…and I shall now release my master."

"Not without a fight you won't!" Link said boldly. He unleashed his sword and prepared for battle.

Meyson smiled evilly. "If you wish me to destroy you now, then so be it!" Meyson began to transform. This time he transformed into a nightmarish form. He transformed into Ganondorf and unleashed a huge sword of his own. "You want a preview of things to come. Then come and get me."

Link rushed the disguised Meyson. They immediately began trading blows. Meyson matched him move for move. An overhead thrust was met with another. Link knew this would be a long fight.

* * *

There had already been many casualties, but the war was far from over. However, Malon knew the situation was growing grim. The evil monsters were beginning to outnumber the Hylian soldiers. And she noticed that Nabooru was getting in over her head. The Gerudo leader began taking on two or even three monsters at once. She certainly was confident in her skills, Malon knew that much.

Suddenly, Malon noticed that two ReDead zombies were approaching her. Nabooru then tossed her a sword, which Malon nearly dropped.

"Don't just stand there, girlfriend!" Nabooru shouted. "Slice something!"

Malon had never handled a sword before, but she had seen Link use one hundreds of times. She held the sword up and pointed it at the ReDead. They continued approaching her, so Malon took action. She closed her eyes and swung the sword. She opened her eyes and saw she got lucky. She sliced off the legs of both ReDead, but they continued to inch towards her. Malon took the sword and stabbed each one in the back. Malon began to feel uneasy. She had a feeling this would be a long night.

  
Chapter 19  


Saria started shaking Sodo. The poor boy had been knocked out. Saria was almost in tears. She had a crush on the boy for the longest time. But only recently did she begin to reflect on that. She started to believe that her feelings for Sodo were something more. It was almost as if she loved him.

"Sodo," Saria pleaded. "Please wake up!"

Saria was so touched that Sodo actually came to rescue her. He had risked succumbing to the disease of the vastness to come save her. It was sacrifice that Saria hadn't known since she left the village to find Link.

Saria struggled to revive Sodo. When she looked up, she saw that Link and Meyson were still trading blows.

* * *

Link continued matching Meyson move for move. Out of the corner of his eye, he could that Zelda was aiming to get a good shot in. Apparently, Meyson saw that as well.

"Oh, no," Meyson said in Ganondorf's evil voice. "Can't have that now." Meyson then took a step back and began to transform again. This time he transformed into Link.

Link stood shocked. Zelda stood shocked as well. Now the princess wouldn't be able to get her shot in, because Link and Meyson now looked exactly alike.

Meyson moved in again. Link met his overhead thrust and kicked him in the stomach. Link tried to unleash a circular slash, but Meyson avoided it with a textbook backflip. Each one continued to counter the other's moves. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in the head of Link. He kicked Meyson back and stopped fighting. Zelda stood confused, still unable to tell which Link was which.

Then Link took his sword and slit his arm. He began to bleed red. It looked like Zelda knew Link's plan as well. Meyson could only bleed black. It was how Impa was able to see through him and Link noticed it back when Meyson invaded the Forest Temple the first time.

Zelda was now able to tell the difference between the two Links. She began to aim a shot at Meyson. She unleashed a beam of light towards the shape-shifter, but something unexpected happened. Meyson's eyes began to glow red and the beam of light turned in mid-air. The beam of light now struck Link directly in the chest, sending him flying back to the wall near the Door of Time. Zelda tried to aim another shot, but Meyson used his power to send her colliding into the wall.

Meyson now began walking towards the Door of Time, but stopped near the fallen Hero of Time. "Surprised? Don't be. I've had that little trick up my sleeve for a while now. Why don't you ask your little girlfriend, Malon, if you don't believe me."

After that revelation, Meyson walked into the Door of Time.

  
Chapter 20  


Saria noticed that what they had all tried to avoid was now happening. Meyson was now in the Door of Time. She walked over to the doorway and saw Meyson kneel and begin chanting in that strange dialect. Suddenly, a huge portal of light began to open. Far within the portal, Saria could the see the face of evil that no one hoped to ever see again. She saw Ganondorf.

"Master!" Meyson said, as he bowed down. "I have done as you wished. You are now free!"

Ganondorf began to make his way towards the end of the portal, but he wasn't out.

"It may be minutes," Meyson said. "It may take a matter of minutes, but you are free. Come out, master! Come and smite your enemies and rule Hyrule just as you were meant to."

Saria turned to her left to see the three Lizalfos, COMBAT. They were walking towards Meyson had been silent through this whole ordeal. "Guys, please. You can't let this happen."

"Sorry, short stuff," Kreature said. "But you're a little late for that."

"Yeah, Ganondorf's on his way out," Krash added.

"And when he takes over, we'll have it made," Og said. "We'll be Ganondorf's top lizards. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

"Do you guys really think that?" Saria shot back. "Then I guess you haven't heard. Meyson lied to you! When Ganondorf gets out, he's isn't giving you anything. In fact, he's just going to get rid of you when this is all over!"

COMBAT looked shocked. They looked outraged at such an accusation, but still looked up at Meyson.

"I-Is that...true, Meyson?" Kreature asked.

"Y-Yeah. You wouldn't just get rid of us when this is all over, would you?" Krash added.

"She's lying right, Meyson?" Og asked, in concern. "After all we've done for you? You wouldn't just off us, would you?"

Meyson stood up and looked at the three lizards. Then Meyson began to laugh. He was laughing louder than Saria had ever heard him laugh before. "Fools! You're all fools! From day one, all you were, were a bunch of pawns! I only kept you around because I needed three morons to do my dirty work! But do you see that?!," he shouted, pointing at the approaching Ganondorf. "My master will soon be here! I don't NEED you three idiots anymore!! When the great Ganondorf gets here, you three will be eliminated!"

Saria saw the expressions on COMBAT. They were hurt. They had been betrayed. And their eyes were now empty of everything, but pure unbridled hatred. Hatred for Meyson. They each took out their swords and pointed them at the evil shape-shifter.

Meyson only laughed. "What are you three screw-ups going to do with those? You don't stand a chance against my powers. You don't have THE GUTS!!"

"Oh yeah," Kreature said angrily. "We'll show you!!"

"We'll show you how much guts we have!!" Krash said.

"And we'll show you that we're not screw-ups!! We are COMBAT!!" Og finished.

It was Kreature and Krash who struck. They took their swords and sliced off Meyson's necklace. As the crystal bounced around towards the lizards, Og took his sword and shattered the crystal.

"NO!!!" Meyson shouted. "My Crystal of Darkness!!! You destroyed it!!!"

* * *

The fight was not going in the favor of the Hylians. It was not going well for Malon either. She was now surrounded by three Stalfos knights. Nabooru couldn't help her, for she was stuck in a battle of her own. Malon was in deep. She knew that this might very well be her time. But if her time did indeed come, then she would go down fighting. She only wished that she knew how to fight better.

But then something incredible happened. The evil monsters stopped advancing. They began to dissolve. The Stalfos knights in front of Malon dissolved in a puff of smoke. The army looked around in bewilderment. Malon couldn't believe what happened, but she was glad it did. She could only call it a miracle.

"Malon, LOOK OUT!!"

That was Nabooru. But by the time her warning came out, Malon was knocked down from behind by what felt like a ton of bricks. Malon looked up to see that the Iron Knuckle, Titanos, knocked her down. He was wielding his axe and was ready to deliver the final blow.

"The army may have been defeated, but I still live. And I shall now honor my master by killing you, the love of the Hero of Time."

* * *

Everything finally stopped spinning for Link. He was finally able to get up. He saw the one thing he didn't want to see. He saw Ganondorf trying to make his way out of the portal of light, being slowed down by its pull. But he also saw something that amazed him. The three Lizalfos, COMBAT, had stood up to Meyson. They destroyed his Crystal of Darkness and Meyson was infuriated.

"You three reptiles will pay DEARLY for this!!!" Meyson shouted.

Link saw that Meyson was distracted. Then a huge light bulb was lit in the mind of Link. He inched his way into the Door of Time. He got to his feet, approached the Pedestal of Time, and grabbed the one thing that could vanquish an evil like Meyson once and for all.

Link pulled out the Master Sword.

  
Chapter 21  


Malon was stuck. She looked up to see that Titanos was about to strike. But before he could deliver the final blow, Nabooru tried striking it from behind. Unfortunately, her blow only made a loud clanking sound and got the attention of the huge brute.

"You dare attempt to strike me?" Titanos said.

"Yeah, I dare," Nabooru answered. "I created you. And I will destroy you."

"The only one who created me is my master," Titanos responded. "And it is I who shall destroy YOU."

Nabooru tried charging the huge metal beast. Her movements with her sword were graceful, but not effective. Titanos simply picked up Nabooru and tossed her into the moat.

"NABOORU!" Malon shouted as she got to her feet. But as soon as she got to her feet, Titanos knocked her down again.

"There is no one to save you now," Titanos declared. "Now I shall destroy you."

* * *

Link knew that now was the time for him to make his move. He approached Meyson ready to strike with the Master Sword, but Meyson quickly turned around. He saw Link coming.

"You don't give up, do you?!" Meyson exclaimed. "Well now I shall…"

Meyson didn't get a chance to finish. He was being held in place by a ray of light. Link looked over to see that Zelda had recovered and was able to hit Meyson with a beam of light.

"Link, NOW!!" Zelda shouted.

But Link ignored her. He had something more immediate to deal with. He walked over to the portal of light and saw that Ganondorf was almost out. Link looked at the Gerudo King and began to smile mischievously.

"YOU!" Ganondorf began. "Not you again!!"

"I didn't hear anyone say you could come out," Link grinned. "So I guess you'll just have to go back in. See ya!" Link kicked the evil Gerudo back into the portal. Once he was completely back in the Sacred Realm, the portal closed back in.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Link heard Ganondorf shout as the portal to the Sacred Realm was sealed. Link then walked over to Meyson. Zelda was still holding him in place.

"And as for you," Link began. "After all you've done, it's time you DIE!!"

Upon uttering those words, Link stabbed Meyson directly in the chest with the Master Sword. Link and the three lizards standing near Meyson were then thrown back by an unseen force. Meyson let out an ear-piercing, deafening scream. He then fell to one knee and began smoking before he spontaneously combusted. When the smoke cleared there was nothing left. Meyson was finally destroyed.

* * *

Titanos was about to thrust his axe deep into Malon, but then something amazing began to happen. Titanos fell onto one knee and let an ear-piercing, deafening scream. He began smoking before he spontaneously combusted.

As he combusted, Malon saw that Nabooru managed to climb out of the moat.

"Nabooru?" Malon asked. "What just happened?"

"I think it's happened," Nabooru began. "I DID say that the only way to beat the legend was to beat the one who released the legend."

Malon's face brightened. "You mean…?"

"Yes," Nabooru responded. "The boy's done it. Link's finally beaten Meyson for good."

  
Chapter 22  


Link was in pain. He was sore beyond belief. But it was finally over. Meyson was destroyed and the threat of Ganondorf was averted. But he noticed that Saria was still trying to revive Sodo.

"Sodo!" Saria shouted, still shaking the young boy. "Sodo, please wake up!"

Sodo moaned and finally moved. He looked like he was still in pain from whatever Meyson had done to him.

"S-Saria?" Sodo asked. "Are you ok?"

Saria gave Sodo a huge hug. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you're ok. But…Sodo…why did you do it?"

"Do what?" the young Kokiri asked.

"Why did you leave the forest?" Saria asked. "You could have died. Why did you risk your life just to save me?"

"Just to save you?" Sodo asked. "Saria, I didn't care what happened to me. For the last two or three months, I've been so happy to see you again after five years. And I couldn't stand the thought of losing you again. Saria…I love you."

Saria stood shocked. "Sodo…I…love you too." She then kneeled down and gave Sodo a kiss that Link knew would make most teenage couples jealous. Link smiled at this sight. This was exactly what Malon was hoping to accomplish by having Sodo come along. Link knew that. And he knew that Malon would whine all the way home about how she missed this heart-warming moment.

Link then noticed the three Lizalfos knights. He could hardly believe that they stood up to Meyson. But they looked distraught over the ordeal they had just endured.

Saria then looked up at them. "Thank you, guys. I knew that you would do the right thing."

"Yeah," Kreature said sadly. "I guess we proved we're not screw-ups."

"But where do we go from here?" Krash asked.

"We've got no home out here in Hyrule," Og said. "We don't have anywhere to go."

Link saw that look in Saria's eyes. She felt sorry for these three. Link was guessing there was more to this than he knew.

"Guys, I'm really sorry," Saria said. "I'd like to offer you a home at the temple…"

"…but she can't," Sodo interrupted. "You can't stay there. After everything you've done, I don't think the others would accept you guys."

"We realize that," Kreature said. "That's why we're not going to the Forest Temple."

"Yeah, thanks for the offer," Krash added. "But we wouldn't be happy living in the forest."

"We're fighting lizards," Og said. "We want to be where the action is."

Link had an idea. "What about the army?"

The three lizards looked at each other. "The army?" Kreature asked.

"No, the army's no good," Krash said sadly. "The Hylians hate us. They'd never accept three Lizalfos into their army."

"We'd stick out like sore thumbs," Og said. "I don't think there's anywhere we can go from here. It'd take a royal miracle for us to live a good life."

Link saw Zelda's face brighten. The princess looked like she had an idea of her own.

"You guys are fighting lizards, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. We live to fight," Kreature answered.

"And you guys want to live a good life, without being abused by the Hylians, right?"

"Yeah. That'd sure be nice," Krash responded.

"Well, I just happen to be looking for some royal guards. Personal royal guards. You interested?" Zelda asked.

COMBAT was intrigued at this possibility. "You mean take a job guarding the Princess of Hyrule?" Krash asked.

Saria's face began to brighten as well. "Yeah! Become Zelda's guards. You'll have a home in the castle if you become her guards. And you'll be happy because you'll be able to fight for the Princess of Hyrule. You'll be fighting for the forces of good."

COMBAT looked at each other excitedly. "You really mean it?" Og asked. "We can be your guards?"

"I can have it arranged," Zelda said. "I've needed some good caretakers since Impa left. Maybe you guys can fill the void. I think you guys could do a better job than the guards we have now."

"So we'll be guarding royalty?" Kreature asked.

"Wouldn't it be a bit awkward?" Krash added.

"Seeing the princess surrounded by three lizards could get people talking," Og finished.

Zelda smiled. "Trust me. We'll talk."

  
Chapter 23  


Link, Malon, Zelda, Nabooru, and COMBAT stood outside of Hyrule Castle. It had been a day since Meyson had been defeated and Link was finally ready to get on his way. He had to make a quick stop at the Forest Temple to drop off Saria and Sodo. They had said they wanted some private time before leaving. Link smiled at the thought. They had been inseparable since they reunited last night.

Link walked over to the three Lizalfos. "I guess this is it, guys. Good luck taking care of Zelda."

"We don't need luck," Og said proudly.

"Yeah, we're fighting lizards," Krash added.

"And we'll be the best royal guards that Hyrule has ever seen," Kreature declared. "Because we're rowdy…"

"We're ready…"

"We're reptiles…"

"We are COMBAT!"

"But we got to thank you for this chance, Link," Kreature said. "No one's ever given us lizards a chance before."

"Yeah, thanks to you and Princess Zelda, us lizards are finally getting a break," Krash added.

"But before you go, we want to say goodbye to Saria," Og said. "She's the first one to ever actually care about what we did with our lives. She went out of her way to care for us."

"Yeah, I understand," Link said. "She went over there. You'll find her with Sodo."

The Lizalfos walked off and Link was approached by Malon.

"Where are they going?" Malon asked.

"To say goodbye," Link answered. "I just hope Saria doesn't mind the sudden visit. She did want to be alone with Sodo."

"That is so romantic," Malon said gleefully. Then she suddenly slapped Link on the arm. "I can't believe you didn't want Sodo to come with us in the first place. You see what happens when you listen to me?"

"Ok, ok," Link said. "You were right, o' mighty mistress of love."

"Thank you," Malon smiled. "I just wish I was there for that special moment."

Link suddenly noticed that Nabooru was mounting her horse. She was getting ready to leave. Link walked up to her.

"Leaving?" Link asked.

"Yeah, I got to get going," Nabooru answered. "You know, that stupid 'sages can't leave the temple' rule. But it was good seeing you again Link. If you're ever around the Gerudo Fortress, I'll make sure that the girls give you a much better reception next time."

"It couldn't get much worse," Link said.

Nabooru started moving out. "Make it easier on yourself, boy. Take the little woman with you. So long, Link." Nabooru was almost gone when Link heard her yell, "Oh yeah, and talk to the princess!"

Link suddenly remembered what he now had to do. He had to talk to Zelda one more time. He walked over to Malon.

"Malon," Link began nervously. "I've got to go talk to Zelda…alone. It's not anything like you think, but you know…"

"Link," Malon said with her arms crossed. "What did I tell you way back at Lake Hylia?"

"That you liked the way I turned out," Link said proudly.

Malon smiled. "Besides that. I said don't be so nervous. I trust you. Now go talk to Zelda."

Link walked over to Zelda, who was standing by the gate. "Princess, can I talk to you alone?"

  
Chapter 24  


Saria was lying with Sodo under a nearby tree. They had been looking peacefully out at the field for hours now. Sodo still felt a little sore over what Meyson had done to him, but he was fine which was a relief to Saria.

"So what do we tell everyone when we get back?" Sodo asked. "They might start talking."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Saria said. "Fala and Ralo are always talking anyway. Mido's changed, so he won't be saying too much. And we've got about 1001 insults for the Know-It-All brothers if they open their big mouths. I think everything will work out just fine."

"How do Rala and Domi live like they do?" Sodo asked. "No one ever says anything about their relationship."

"Maybe it's because Domi will charge double if they do," Saria smiled.

"HELLO!"

"HELLO!"

"HELLO!"

The singsong introduction made Sodo jump, making Saria giggle. She looked up to see that COMBAT had come in.

"Hi guys," Saria said. "What are you doing here?"

"We just wanted to say goodbye," Kreature said.

"It'll the last time we see you before you go back to the temple," Krash added.

"Yeah. We're going to miss you, Saria," Og finished.

Saria shed a tear. "I'm going to miss you guys too."

Sodo wasn't exactly as sentimental. "Well, see ya."

"Sodo!" Saria shouted sternly. "He doesn't mean that guys. He's going to miss you too."

"Yeah, like I miss a Mad Deku Scrub," Sodo muttered.

"We can't blame you for still being sore at us, shorty," Kreature said.

"After all, we did leave you 'hanging around'," Krash added.

"Yeah. We're sorry we almost killed you, shrimp," Og said.

"He accepts your apology," Saria said. "Thanks guys. Good luck."

The three lizards said their good-byes and left. Sodo then looked at Saria angrily.

"So let me get this straight! You're friends with them now?! After all they've done, you're FRIENDS with them?! And how could you just assume I'd forgive them?! They almost killed me! I was hanging upside-down from about 70 feet in the air! Those scaly reptiles! If I were a little bigger…"

Saria stopped Sodo in his tracks by locking her lips with his. When she released the kiss, she saw that the peaceful boy was blushing.

"W-W-What were we talking about again?" Sodo smiled bashfully.

"I don't remember," Saria smiled back before resuming the kiss.

  
Chapter 25  


Link and Zelda walked into the castle gate and made sure there was no one around. Link didn't know how to begin.

"Zelda…I want to apologize," Link said.

"Apologize?" Zelda asked. "For what?"

"For my outburst at the temple," Link answered. "I know I already apologized for the outburst itself, but it's the reason for it I want to apologize for."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked confused.

"I yelled at you because I thought you hit Malon," Link began. "I thought you had stupidly gotten involved and shot without looking and hit Malon. But what I didn't realize was that you were trying to help me and the reason that the shot hit Malon was because of Meyson's magic. You weren't responsible but I yelled at you. For that, I'm sorry."

"I know you care about her Link," Zelda said. "I've gotten to talk to her and I know she's a good person. You're a lucky guy."

Link looked out at the sun. "I guess this is goodbye."

Zelda took a deep breath. "Link, I've got something to tell you. It's something that I've been meaning to tell you for a long time."

That got Link's attention. "I think I know what you're trying to say. Zelda, I'm sorry. But you and I both know this can't happen. I'm in love with Malon." Link was amazed at what he had just said. Did he really say that he was in love with Malon?

He couldn't think about that over Zelda's reaction to what he just said. She started giggling. It soon burst into all-out laughter. "Link, you thought that's what I wanted to tell you? You think I wanted to…declare my feelings for you?"

Link stood confused. His ego stood bruised. "You mean that's not it?"

Zelda tried to stop laughing. "Link, you're a cute guy. You really are. But we aren't meant for each other. But what I wanted to tell you is that you and Malon are."

"What makes you think that?" Link asked curiously.

"Let me put it this way," Zelda began. "Do you remember that day when you defeated Ganondorf?"

"Yeah."

"And do you remember that you went back and saw that Malon remembered everything?"

Link couldn't see where she was going with this. "Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Malon told me all about it," Zelda answered. "She really surprised me when she remembered everything from the Imprisonment War. Yet I made it so that no one remembered anything from that time. So it led me to believe one thing."

"What's that?" Link asked.

"When I restored you to your time, I decided to do something for you. To make up for the pain I brought you. I decided to have the one person, besides the six sages, you care about the most retain his or her memory of the past. And…that one person was Malon."

Link stood shocked. He and Malon knew that it was a miracle that she remembered everything. But they decided not to bother to find out. Now Link found out why. It was because of Princess Zelda.

"You did that?" Link asked. "It was because of you that Malon retained her memory? H-How can I ever thank you?"

"Just do one thing for me," Zelda responded. "Forgive me for everything I've done. Forgive me for the pain I caused you."

Link wanted to forgive Zelda sooner or later. Link felt that this was the time. "Of course, Zelda. I forgive you." He threw his arms around Zelda and gave her a big hug. He didn't know what Malon would think, but Link owed Zelda for Malon even knowing who he was.

"Then it's time for us to part ways again," Zelda said. "But this time, I hope you'll visit."

"You can count on that," Link responded. "But I have to ask one thing…"

Zelda smiled. "What's that?"

Link was curious. Malon had this question practically tattooed in his mind. "I know I had it bad during that whole quest…but what was it like for you? I never found out what you had to go through."

Zelda's smile remained, much to Link's surprise. "You know…it's about time you considered what I had to go through. I didn't have it easy, you know. But…that's something to tell you another day."

"Another day?" Link asked.

"You DID say you'd visit, didn't you?"

"I did," Link conceded. "Then I guess I'll…see you later."

Link gave Zelda a quick kiss on the cheek and walked back to a waiting Malon. He couldn't wait to tell her what Zelda just told him.

  
Conclusion  


Link and Malon were finally approaching Lon Lon Ranch. It was all over. They had bid Princess Zelda and COMBAT farewell and dropped off Saria and Sodo. But Link had yet to tell Malon what Zelda had told him.

"Well, it's over," Malon said sadly. "Coming back to the ranch seems kind of boring now."

"Actually, I've got a little something to tell you that might pass the time," Link said.

Malon smiled. "And what's that?"

Link gave Malon a passionate kiss. "First, I just want to say how much I love you."

Malon was speechless. She and Link jumped off their horses and began walking into the ranch holding hands, as Link continued.

"Malon, have you ever wondered why you retained your memory of the past?"

  
THE END   


Whoo! That was weeks in the making, but the story is finally over. I'm eager to hear your reactions and comments. So do not hesitate to review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com.


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